


Lost But Not Gone

by madness_on_the_milano



Series: The Flora Colossi and the Enhanced Procyonid [1]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Abuse, Acts of Kindness, Angst, Friendship, Gen, Grieving, Halfworld, Hurt/Comfort, I Know Rocket Isn't Actually A Raccoon But Let's Pretend He Is, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pain, Past Abuse, Platonic Love, Raccoon Babies, Rocket's Mother - Freeform, planet x
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-04-27 09:21:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 28,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14422362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madness_on_the_milano/pseuds/madness_on_the_milano
Summary: What starts off as a perfectly pleasant ordinary day on Planet X turns into the worst day of a young Flora Colossus' life. After all, nothing can quite beat watching your home planet burn to a crisp with all your family and race screaming in agony. And nothing could ever compare to what came after.





	1. Groot's Fire

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cyndi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyndi/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything turns to dust and ashes.

To the untrained eye, all Flora Colossi all looked the same, probably. They sounded very similar, yes, and they all shared the same name as they shared the same home, resources and existences, but they couldn't be more different to each other if they tried. Some were so tall that they could rest their hands on the tops of mountains, whereas some only reached the height of the six-foot shrubs that grew around their bases. Some chose to create saplings with others of the race, combining their seeds and depositing them into the nurturing soil until a child grew. Others took a piece of themselves and placed it carefully in the ground until the stick, twig or branch developed features. Some chose not to continue themselves, happy with things as they were. Some were fast, others slow. Some were strong, others were weak. Some were clever, and some were..not.  
On their homeworld, Planet X, things were usually the same everyday, but that didn't mean things were boring. Sometimes, life threw unexpected things, such as thunderstorms with dangerous green lightning or spinning tornadoes. Sometimes, people argued. Sometimes, lives couldn't stretch any further and there was mourning to be done.  
Planet X itself was beautiful. Groot's father - he had been made from a single piece of him - had told him that their world was one of the finer places in the galaxy to exist and Groot had never been able to disagree. The grassy fields were downy and lush and every night as soon as the four suns set, Groot and his father would sit in one, his father releasing swarms of his golden fireflies until neither could see the white stars dotting the deep crimson skies. In the very centre of the planet was a huge, tall mountain, surrounded by four bright green lakes. It was sacred and only his father could go up there, for that was where Groot's great-great-great-grandfather had planted the first of many of their people. Soon, all the others had appeared and they had begun planting their seeds, but Groot and his father were both descended directly from the first ever one. His great-great-great-grandfather had made the climb when he had felt his energy decline and had struck his roots firmly into the ground, dying there peacefully.

Groot was curious about the mountain, but as he stood at the base, he didn't know if he dared just walk up. What if something terrible happened?

"Son? Are you alright?"

Whenever there was anything, whatsoever, going on, Groot's father automatically appeared. It was why he made such a great leader, Groot supposed. "I want to see," he explained gesturing as respectfully as he could at the mountain. "I grow even more curious everyday!"

_"More_ curious?" Groot's father repeated, the ridges of his brows lifting in amusement. "I didn't know that was possible for you!"

"Dad!"

His father held out a hand invitingly and smiled as he took it. "I'll show you what my father showed me when I was your age," he promised.

They didn't go up the mountain. His father found a small, cool cave in the side of the mountain. It smelled of moss and Groot spotted some on the walls, but it was yellow with orange patches and he grimaced. He could smell water too and soon heard it. The further they went, the darker things became until he heard a grinding sound as his father pulled back a heavy boulder. The silver light of the four suns briefly blinded him and then he saw it. A huge, lengthy waterfall that crashed into a large pool of clear crystalline waters. Rainbows grew from the furiously churning liquid and Groot stared in awe. "What is this place?"

"My father called it the Waters of Wisdom. I believe you are old enough to grow wise now."

"I am?"

"Of course. Drink some." His father rubbed his hand over his head and looked at him with expectant patience.

Groot held out his hand under the waterfall. It was falling so viciously that it should have hurt, but it felt pleasant. Soothing. He cupped his hand and stared briefly at the contents of his palm before bringing it to his lips. It was the purest water he had ever tasted. After it had been drunk, he waited and then frowned.

His father frowned too, but he was confused, not annoyed. "What's wrong?"

"I don't feel any wiser." Groot complained.

His father laughed. "Wisdom doesn't come all at once, my boy!" As if to prove his point, he angled his hand under the waterfall so it was directed at Groot's face and actually giggled when he got splashed.

Groot blinked in surprise and then grinned. "I'll get you for this, just you wait!"

His father let him splash him in return and knelt, bringing their foreheads close together. "Being wise doesn't mean you're sensible every second of the day," he said, his tone serious. "It means you are sensible when you need to be."

Groot was about to respond when suddenly, briefly, things turned black. He jolted in a panic, but his father's hand held him steady, his voice telling him to be calm. "Dad, what's happening?"

The light returned, but his father looked even more serious than before. "Don't panic. I'm here. Come, let's see what happened."

He stayed close to his father as they made their way out of the cave, even when his father ran to the colony of their people who stood bunched together, gazing skyward. Groot looked up, too. And he stared in horror and incomprehension at what he saw. "Is that a bird?"

"No, son. That's a spaceship. Usually, they don't enter our home." Raising his voice, Groot's father bellowed; _"What do you want?"_

"This is Ronan the Accuser. Surrender the planet and all of its riches to me or you will all be exterminated. Not a single one of your kind will be left alive. Surrender this planet or suffer the consequences."

Groot held onto his father's forearm. He looked up at his father who was now looking enraged. Slowly, deliberately, he shook his head.

"Very well."

Something small, but red and bright hurled from the black depths of the spaceship. Everyone began panicking at the new sight for they all knew it meant danger. Saplings were torn from their soil, some collapsed to the ground screaming and others ran wildly. Not Groot's father. He gathered the ones who were not running or hysterical and they began sprinting the route back to the cave when the ground rumbled and shook. Suddenly, heat was all Groot could feel. Sometimes, fire came after a lightning storm, but these fires were manageable and only lasted several minutes before fizzling out of their own accord. This fire was red and angry, eating everything in its path. More upsettingly, it ate everyone too. The saplings died, their young voices high and shrill, the people got burned until their charred bodies turned to ash and as they reached the cave, it was only Groot and his father left. As they entered the cave, there was a sound like the wind and the dreadful sound of his father screaming. He tried raising his hand to beat out the flames that had reduced half of his father to ash, but his wrist was grabbed. "Get..to..the..pool. Stay until it's safe..."

There was nothing he could do and he numbly obeyed. The inside of the waterfalls cave was the same horrible colour of the fire and he sat by the pool, listening to the sounds of the waterfall which seemed more muted as if was also trying to understand what had just happened.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off the cartoon in regards to Ronan swinging by to destroy Planet X. I have very limited knowledge, having never read the comics, but hope to make something a little heartbreaking, a little heartwarming. Cyndi, I read your fanfictions on Autistic!Groot and they were the most incredible thing and you inspired me. Thank you and I hope you enjoy this.


	2. Rocket's Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's Rocket! Well, it's Rocket's mom while she was pregnant with him and his siblings. It's a really horrible chapter because ultimately, only Rocket and a sister survive birth and the sister is so sickly that she doesn't live long and the scientist is actually the most vile, awful, horrendous being ever and deserves hell. It doesn't dwell on the death, but it could be triggering and the scientist gives an offscreen Caesarean to Rocket's mom. Also, this is a defenceless animal and I have no idea why I started this. The nasty parts are not going to be easy for anyone. But there's a light at the end of this godforsaken tunnel, so.

The animal hissed as the yellow-skinned alien prodded at her swollen belly. Being heavily sedated and strapped down to boot, she had no choice but to stay still as he continued examining her. Now, she was in the second month of pregnancy and in the two weeks she had been in this strange, awful place, she had felt some of her babies stop moving. Two little kicks a day were all that kept her alive.

For her outburst, she received a squirt to the face from a water bottle.

"Female of the procyon species from the planet Earth, four years of age and in the eighth week of pregnancy," the yellow-skinned alien cupped his hand over her belly and grinned, showing her a mouth full of gold teeth. "My name is Gax. As soon as you give birth, either you or your surviving young will be taught how to speak. Of course, vocal cord transplants will be needed as well as some vocal therapy, but that's nothing too difficult."

She writhed and growled, not wanting his clumsy hand anywhere near her precious kits. He was like no human she had ever seen and she hissed angrily when he squirted her again. Her belly cramped under his hand and she whined in pain. Another minute another cramp. She had birthed one litter before and knew what this meant.

As though he had read her thoughts, he grinned again, showing his molars which were studded with tiny blue stones. "Well! A little early, but you can never begin work such as the sooner, the better." He reached for a scalpel and leant over her. "Let me help..."

* * *

Giving birth hurt, but the bloody line down her middle was agony compared to giving birth the old-fashioned way. One of her swollen teats had been gashed, leaking a pink mixture of blood and milk. She had seen that she had been carrying a litter of five, but now there were only two. A girl and a boy. She kept pawing her poor kits as they went to close to the sore teat and thought very hard about them, not the three that she had lost. Once they had taken their fill of milk, she licked them clean of the soap they had been roughly bathed in and allowed them to nuzzle. Her newest daughter worried her. She was the biggest, but she seemed so weak in comparison to her lively little brother. She tucked her daughter closer to herself and looked down her muzzle at her son who slept soundly in her fur. The last litter had been composed entirely of girls and she had thought she would have girls again. A boy was a surprise and she pressed her black little nose on her son's hairless head. His little ears flicked at the strange feeling, but he didn't mewl or cry and she closed her eyes happily.

* * *

When she awoke, her daughter was missing. She pawed at the cold cage floor anxiously, tearing only a light scratch despite her efforts, filled with fear as she realised that her boy was also missing. 

"No! Stop that!"

She sneezed as she was squirted again. It was Gax. She could smell the truth and started crying, a loud, high, thin sound. He had killed her children,  he must have done. He had killed her only surviving  babies. Her sorrow turned to rage in seconds and she threw herself at the cage, trying to scratch him, make him feel some of her pain. Sudden agony spiked through her and she yelped shrilly. A blur of soft grey fell in front of her and she sniffed at the one who had been returned. It was her boy and she closed her eyes in relief that at least one of her children had been returned to her alive. 

"I didn't want to, but that temper of yours is appalling. The female subject ceased existence this morning and had to be disposed." Gax put away the stick he'd hurt her with and watched her out of emotionless hazel eyes.

She turned her back on him, reaching for her remaining baby. She resolved to find a way to leave as soon as she could and held her son steady as he began to latch on. She knew now that she couldn't let this kit out of her sight, not even for a second and she decided she would never do such a thing. Usually, mothers looked after their kits until they could fend for themselves, but now was different. Now, they were all the other had and they would need each other desperately if they were to survive.

* * *

_Three weeks of age_

The baby's eyes were open! They were the same bright brown as hers and she nuzzled him proudly. She had grown very protective of him and yet she knew she couldn't feed him from her teat forever. She had worked out that she was safe from most of the agonies she heard the others screaming from because she was feeding her baby, but he would soon be needing solid food and when he did... She licked his ears to distract herself and then began washing his face with her paws. It wouldn't just be her who would be getting hurt when he was weaned. It would be him too and she quivered at the thought.

* * *

_Seven weeks of age_

She wasn't able to provide enough milk. She knew she couldn't, but the alternative was far worse. The moment he didn't need her milk would be the moment they would be getting hurt and she was becoming even more afraid by the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this was much darker. It would have had Gax mentioning that the lost kit was used for research but that was far too horrible, so I left that out.


	3. Groot's Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Groot finds himself in a very strange place, surrounded by even stranger people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Groot is far more eloquent and thoughtful than he might appear (it's true and we all know it!), so that's why there's a wall of text. Here, he tries conversing with people who are not Flora Colossi and while we hear both conversing in English, nobody knows what he is saying and he starts to feel very isolated and hopes, even believes, that there will be good things coming his way on Halfworld...  
> Next up, four month old, fluffy baby Rocket gets an operation and his mom gets pissed.

The fire did die down eventually. Groot found the exit and stood quietly, staring at the mounded lump of fine grey ash where his father had died. He whimpered aloud, feeling tears track down his face. But he was leader after his father and he needed to find the others. He stepped out of the cave's shelter and looked around, his mouth falling open as he took in the new surroundings. _Everything_ was gone. No trees, no flowers, no bushes, no grass, no anything. Only the rock remained and the soil was dry and charred. Everything smelt so strange now and he felt a lump in his chest as he realised that he was quite possibly the only one left. But he might not, so he kept going, calling for others. No one answered his calls, no one came into view. No groans from an elder, no cries from an infant, no rumbles from an adult. Flora Colossi could easily walk all day and all night and he did just that, looking all over the land. The four suns rose and set 30 times. No one was left.  
He got his nutrients by sticking his roots into the soil, but there weren't many and he grew frail, his leaves withering. The waters were all tainted, not _poisoned,_ but tainted by the fires, now tasting bitter and having a very gritty texture and he soon stopped drinking altogether, though he knew it would kill him. After the sixth day of realising that he was all alone, he went up the sacred mountain to stare at what would have once been his as he waited for his life to end. Black and grey coloured the landscape, illuminated by the silver suns. A black pebble with a clear stone caught his eye and he picked it up. At least he could truthfully say there was some beauty left on his world. He opened a part of his chest and placed it safely inside. It was _his_ now and nobody, not even the monster that had destroyed his world could take it away from him. He would keep this last good thing with him.

A shadow came over him. He stared at the sudden dark patch and turned his head. He gulped in fear. There was another spaceship. Bright blue light beamed from its middle and he felt himself being drawn in as though he weighed no more than a tiny sapling. He grabbed the mountain and cried out as he was dragged away. He didn't want to leave his home, even though it looked so awful and colourless and dead now. He landed on a floor, a cold floor and banged his head as he tried to stand. The thing he'd banged his head on was shiny and a silver colour like the four suns. Holding the slab of silver up were lines of the same silver stuff. And then he noticed the _things._

"This ought to fetch us a few thousand units."

"Holy shit, they're rare fuckers! Check it out - 'extinct'!"

There was a roar of laughter. "Looks alive to me!"

"Halfworld are always on the lookout for cool shit like this."

"Let me go!" Groot pleaded desperately.

"Nice to meet you, Groot. I'm Re'i and this is my crew. Where's the rest of you freaks, huh?"

Groot looked down, his eyes stinging. He noticed one of them had a clear...thing filled with liquid and shot out roots. He knew it was wrong to steal, but he was so dry that he could feel himself dying. Ignoring the cries of anger from the one he'd stolen from and the raucous laughter from the other things, he bit off the head and poured the liquid into his mouth, spluttering immediately after. "What _is_ this?"

"We fuckin' know. Don't your people know it's wrong to steal? Gimme that here." Re'i grabbed it off him and handed it back to its orginal owner. "What you want, then?"

"Water."

_"What do you want?"_ Re'i repeated louder as if he was deaf.

_"Water!"_

"Fuckin' stupid dumbass. That all you can say? Pah! Halfworld oughta cure you of that shit pretty fast." Re'i caught sight of his brown, withered leaves and snorted. "You want a drink?"

Groot nodded.

"Here you fuckin' go, then. Ask nice in the future." Re'i thrust a tube at him and left, followed by the rest of his crew.

The tube was red and had something that needed to be turned, but the water tasted just right. Better than the stuff on his home planet. He drank it all and felt even thirstier than he had before. The lines looked thin and he managed to bend one. Excitedly, he bent the one beside it and he was free! The first thing he did was search for water, able to smell it out with ease. It was locked in an opaque...thing and he found one of the screw things. He bent his head over it and began slurping it up.

"What the hell?! Who the _fuck_ let you out?!"

Groot turned around, trying to gulp down the mouthful he had left. He didn't dare to look at Re'i.

"I'll be damned. I'll be fuckin' damned. Come on, you bark-assed son of a bitch..."

Groot wondered what a bitch was as Re'i started taking him back to the lined place. He heard the word again when Re'i saw what he'd done to it. "I was thirsty," he tried to explain.

"I know your name, dammit! I don't believe this bullshit. Where in hell am I s'posed to keep you now?"

Groot shrugged. He didn't know. He didn't even know where he was.

"I can't believe what you did to your cage. And who the hell knows what you did to the water tank. Now, why did you do that? And don't shrug!"

"Well, the cage was easy to break!"

"Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting what a jackass you are. Alright, you can sleep in the brig. Lemme guess, you wanted more water?"

Groot nodded. He was getting the impression that Re'i didn't understand him.

"Okay, we'll make sure there's water. What about food? Ya eat?"

Of course he ate. Well, he _liked_ to. He'd never liked taking nutrients from the soil. He nodded.

"Do you eat fruit? Vegetables? Or is that cannibalism to you?"

Groot had no idea what cannibalism was, but he nodded his head, remembering the fruit trees and berry bushes on Planet X.

The brig turned out to be another lined room, but the lines went both vertical and horizontal. There were dusty, long, soft things balled up in the corners and Groot used them to make himself a little nest. They smelt funny, but they were comfy and soon Ke'i delivered on his promise of food and water. There were round purple things that had green flesh inside and they tasted so sweet that he wished they'd had some on Planet X and tried not to start weeping again at the thought of how much his father would have liked them. There were also dark green tubers that were a little sharp, but he still devoured them happily. He'd not eaten in nearly 37 days and now he felt tired, all his journeying catching up with him. He curled up in his nest, thinking about Halfworld. Was it where people went after their homes were destroyed? Some kind of safe haven, perhaps? He smiled drowsily. He would be safe in Halfworld.


	4. Rocket's Almost Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short one and Rocket's mom is an incredibly intelligent raccoon. The Rocket chapters will be a little short for a while, but they'll soon get longer as he 'evolves'. Next chapter, Groot arrives at his new 'home' and makes friends with a frightened little kit who thinks that Groot's leaves are very tasty.

_ Four months of age _

 

Gax peered into his eyes and smiled widely. "Awake already, 89P13? I'm so glad. You'll be glad to know that some new vocal cords are on their way for you. You won't miss your old voice much!"

* * *

The mother raccoon was enraged. She didn't know _what,_ but she knew they had done something to her kit's voice. He didn't emit so much as a squeak, but tears leaked from his eyes and he kept pawing at his neck. She managed to get a look for herself and upon seeing the blood, she rather lost her temper. In fact, she lost her temper so much that she accidentally, miraculously, incredibly, broke the cage door. She stared in amazement and picked her kit up by his scruff before running out on all fours. On Earth, she had travelled through air vents on her way to find food, but the ones here were too small. She saw a window and at first tried to go through it. She scratched at it with her claws, excited by the white marks because this meant she was getting through, but suddenly there were alarms screeching, bright lights going off and something cracked the side of her head, sending her across the room to lie limply, her head bleeding, the skull nearly fractured from the force of the blow.

"Don't damage 89P13!" Gax cried.

"What about 89P09?"

Gax looked down at her coldly. "It's served its purpose. Find a buyer. If not, it will have to be disposed of within the next month."


	5. Groot's Arrival

"Rise and shine, you bark-assed bastard!"

Groot grumbled because he really was very comfy. He'd become quite good friends with the youngest member of the crew who snuck down every night to give him the vegetables he didn't want to eat. Still, they were at his new home now. He got up from his nest and bundled away the things Re'i called sheets and ate what had been left over from dinner the night before - a handful of tangy berries and something distinctly radish-like in appearance, yet tasted like the pale pink pears that grew every summer on Planet X. Then he drank the last of his water and was ready to meet the people.

"C'mere." Re'i ordered. He made Groot crouch down and broke off a few twigs that had grown on his chin. "We want you lookin' nice, don't we?"

Well, of course. No one liked a scruff. He walked by Re'i and followed him down an ramp, his foot making contact with a strange surface, like the rubber that grew on certain trees back home. He frowned because the ground was not supposed to feel rubbery at all and took in his new surroundings. Strange, rectangular mountains. No birdsong. No grass. No trees. It was a _bit_ better than the ashen world Groot had left, but not much. He snapped himself out of it. It was no good being ungrateful. At least there was water, he could see a river _and_ he could smell growing things that he could eat. It was much better than starving to death on his empty planet. Besides, he had his pretty pebble with him.

"Good afternoon, Captain Re'i. I am Doctor Gax Gavaar,"

What a weird looking creature. His skin was bright yellow like the flying fish that lived in the lakes and his eyes were a sickly brown-green like the moss that grew on elders. But he was going to be his neighbour. He waved shyly. "Hello. My name is Groot. I'm very glad to meet you."

"Hello, Groot. Where are you from?"

"Planet X. It was made barren by an alien, so Re'i brought me here."

"Yes, I understood that bit. Where are you from?"

_'Was this yellow creature stupid?'_  Groot wondered in frustration. He didn't mumble, so why didn't he understand? "Planet X!"

"I told ya." Re'i said to Gax. "He don't know shit apart from his own name."

"Well, we can fix that. The last of the Flora Colossi. It's lucky you found him when you did. I'll wire the money as soon as I've gotten Groot settled."

"I'll stick around, if you don't mind."

Gax bowed his head. "Of course." He took Groot's forearm. "Come along, Groot. We've got just the right spot for you."

They went inside the mountain and it was so bright. They seemed to have extremely hot suns inside hollow clear tubes on the ceilings. He touched one out of curiosity.

"Groot, don't touch the lightbulbs please...mind your head on the ceiling...watch the sign!"

So many things to look out for and so many words to learn. By the time they got to the place he would be staying, he knew what a box, lightbulb, building, window, hat, tile, shirt, screen and pen was. And then he learnt the word 'room' as Gax announced that it was what he would be staying in. Gax pointed to a cage, sturdier than the one he'd broken on the spaceship and nodded approvingly as he clambered into it, careful of his head like he'd been asked to be. A movement caught his eye and he stared in wonder and joy at the fluffy, grey creature beside him. He reached a hand through the bars and jumped viciously when it bit at him.

"89P09!"

The creature - 89P09 - flashed its teeth menacingly and began nosing at something between its paws and Groot realised why it had snapped. It had a baby. A tiny, hungry-looking baby. He found a leafy spot on his knee and picked the nicest one, offering it to the creatures tentatively. "Here. Have this. There's lots!"

"Interesting." Gax murmured and he left without another word.

89P09 took the leaf after eying him cautiously. She gave it to her baby and watched as he chewed and swallowed.

Then, something wonderful happened. The baby got up on tiny splindly legs and wobbled through the bars, climbed up Groot's thigh and bit off another leaf! Groot stared in rapture. He knew better than to reach out and stroke the baby because the mother was giving him a very angry look already and he didn't dare antagonise her. But he could _look._ And he could give the mother leaves from his shoulder. She didn't touch them until her baby wobbled back to her, burped and fell asleep. Then she ate her leaves and it became apparent that however hungry her baby had been, she had been even more so. She belched and gave him a look as if to say; "I suppose you aren't so bad."

"Didn't you tell them that you were hungry?" Groot asked 89P09.

She didn't answer at all, just yawned and rested her head on her paws. She was staring at a window, one with white marks all over it. Then she shuddered with a great sigh and fell asleep.

Groot watched her for a while and took out his pretty pebble to look at it. Both he and the pebble had escaped. He remembered the splash fight with his father, the taste of that pure water, the four silver suns and put his pebble back. That was gone. He was still here, but he thought of the saplings which had been fought for by their parents. His race hadn't had a chance to fight back. Now they were all cinders and ashes and that was it. All were finished with. Why was he the only one left? It felt so strange to be lonely. Once everyone had understood everyone and now no one understood him. There was no one and there would never be anyone who would know what he meant. How would he survive? He wondered about the furry creatures beside him and decided they must have met a similar fate to him. At least they were all there together.

* * *

He didn't know how long he had been in the cage, but he was beginning to wilt from lack of proper movement. He had been asleep for most of his stay and when he'd been awake, he'd seen the sun rise and set, casting vivid purples into the room, twice and in that time he'd not had any water. He rumbled deeply in the hope that Gax might hear him, the cages trembling together, waking up the mother and her baby. The mother hissed lightly at him for waking her up, but it was half-hearted. She seemed to know exactly how he felt. Her baby had been growing slower lately and she licked him softly with her tongue, nuzzling him as he quietly rasped out a mewl. 

"What's all this noise?"

Finally! Groot edged to the cage door hopefully. "Have you got any water?"

"No improvement, I see." Gax wasn't focusing on him, however. He was opening the door to 89P09's cage. He reached for the baby who whimpered softly, drawing close to his mother. She began baring her teeth, angrily this time and sank them into his bright hand, drawing sickly, orange-coloured blood. The thumb made an unpleasant cracking sound and white broke through the bright yellow skin of Gax's hand. She snarled and hooked her claws into his hand, clearly not at all planning on letting go.

"You little bitch!" Gax grabbed her by her back and glared into her eyes as she writhed and snarled in his grasp. His eyes flickered from her to her weakened infant. Without warning, he raised 89P09 high and slammed her headfirst onto the floor, giving her head a solid kick when she growled. She shuddered and stopped moving, though her limbs tremored. "You aren't worth the cage space."

Groot stared at him in horror. "Why did you do that? She was only protecting her baby!"

"Shh!" Gax held up a hand rudely.  He lifted 89P09 by her stripy tail and threw her back in the cage, pressing a button to lock it. As he left, the mother began squeaking, the noise barely noticeable. Water grew in her dulled brown eyes as her son came closer, also making noises of confused sorrow, and her tears rolled down her fur in tiny circles like dewdrops. Groot knew that animals didn't normally cry out of sadness, only out of pain, but he could tell that she was sad and hurting for the fact she was leaving her baby alone. He grew his fingers into vines and reached them through the gaps of the cage, daring to stroke her for the first time. She felt soft and warm despite her appearance and she didn't even seem to mind his gentle touch as she had previously. She licked her chops with her white, cracked tongue, her eyes growing peaceful and Groot felt her grow limp beneath his touch. He stopped and looked at her as she lay still and calm on the cage floor. It was a bad idea because of how dehydrated he was, but he grew her a flower, just a small one because it was all he could give, and placed it behind her ear, the delicate blue contrasting against her sparse grey fur and hoped she would find comfort in the afterworld. 

"Oh." Gax was back. He took 89P09 out of her cage and held her at arm's distance. "Finally, I can get some use out of her." He left with her, the flower drifting lazily to the floor and Groot reached out a tendril, scooping it from the black and white squares that made up the alien ground. He didn't trust the yellow-skinned alien anymore. Gax came back within ten minutes and reached for the baby who wriggled and failed weakly in his recently gloved hands, his squeaks more urgent and fearful. "89P13, you will be a success. I'll make sure of it."

"Don't hurt it-"

"Shh. Once 89P13's modifications are made, you will be healed of your own afflictions."

_'Rude bastard,'_ Groot thought to himself. Who did he think he was kidding? Clearly, it was _him_ who was afflicted. And, even more clearly, Groot had escaped one terrible fate and found himself awaiting another.

* * *

It was some time before he saw the baby again. In that time, feeding times happened once after the sun had risen and set three times and water after the sun had risen and set twice. Meanwhile, he had been utterly _bored._ He had tried breaking apart the bars, but they buzzed and stung his hands each time. He had made fireflies for his own amusement, but they soon reminded him so painfully of his long-gone home that he stopped this game. He made vines that twirled around the bars, growing flowers here and there to make his new home look pretty, but Gax held something over his mouth that made him sleep and each time he woke up in the cage, the bare bright silver of the bars mockingly reminded him of the four suns of home.  
After, oh so many weeks, he was let out. Gax reached up and affixed something the same shade of silver as the cage around his neck, tightening it so that there was no room for his neck to expand. Sharp, cold things forced their way inside his bark and he swallowed delicately, soon gladdened to realise that this made it no less easy to swallow down food and water. Speaking of which...

"Here," Gax placed a tiny red grape into his mouth. "That was good, keeping still and calm. Let's hope you're a good influence on 89P13."

The numbers sounded familiar and he puzzled over them as he was led through passageways until they were in a bright, white room, the horrid stench of something...something vulgar offending Groot's senses. He covered the miniscule nostrils in the middle of his face and shrieked as pain jolted through him.

"That's _bleach,_ you stupid creature. Don't you understand the importance of cleanliness?"

"Take your own advice, Gavaar. No one ever tell you that you look _and_ smell like a venereal disease?"

Groot stared at the one who had spoken. He would recognise those coppery brown eyes anywhere. It was the baby! But he certainly didn't seem like the frightened infant he had once been any more. He was still smaller than his mother but he was far more vocal. Groot jumped violently as Gavaar pressed a button on his wrist and lightning shot through the bab- the furry one. "Don't!"

"In." Gavaar ordered quietly. He gestured to the cage next to the furry one and rewarded Groot with another grape when he obeyed. "Rest well. You both have a big day ahead tomorrow."

Groot spat out the grape as soon as Gavaar was gone. The first one - _eugh!_ It was bitter and he had no desire for the other one. But he knew that refusal of anything would not be met well here.

"Hey. If you ain't eating it, give it here."

"I _spat_ it out."

"I don't care if you _shit_ it out, I'm starving!"

Groot flicked the grape into the cage. It bounced off the furry one's nose and he giggled, unable to stop himself. "Sorry."

"Yeah, whatever." 89P13 picked it up, wiped it on his fur and chewed it. "What's your name?"

"Groot."

"Great to meet you. I'm called 89P13 by the jackoffs here."

"What's your real name?"

89P13 looked at him for a while and then scratched behind one of his pointy little ears. "I'm sorry...I get _some_ of what you're saying, but it's a little hard. Repeat that?"

"What's. Your. Real. Name?" Groot repeated as loudly and slowly as he could. At least 89P13 was polite when he didn't understand him.

"My real name?" 89P13 waited for Groot to nod his head in confirmation. "The first word I ever spoke was 'rocket' and it's stuck with me ever since."

"Rocket."

"That's right."

Groot mulled over the strange new name in his mind. "What _is_ a rocket?"

"It's like a spaceship, but it's thinner and rounder. It gets propelled off the ground by a huge explosion and then it flies away into the universe."

"What does it do?"

"Finds new worlds. Blows shit up." Rocket looked at him with those bright brown eyes. "You haven't been here long, have you?"

"No. Do you remember your mother?"

To his surprise, Rocket made a 'psh' noise. "I don't have a mother!"

Groot felt his insides cramp. "What do you mean?"

"I was made, not born."

They had done something to him. Something to his mind. Groot thought of the tiny, fragile female who had fought viciously for her baby, shortly dying under his caring touch and sighed deeply. He knew Rocket would never believe the truth.

"Ah, don't feel bad. You can't miss what you never had, right?" Rocket leaned against the wall that parted them. "How did you get to this shithole?"

"My planet was set ablaze and everyone died. Everyone but me."

Rocket's ears flattened. "I'm sorry. Look, we won't be here forever, alright? I'm working on a way out of here and we'll soon figure it out."

"We?"

"Yeah. These aren't good people, Groot. We both gotta get out as soon as we can."

"How?"

"I don't know yet. They pump me with information everyday and I play dumb to my buyers and Gavaar. Eventually, they'll slip up."

"You think so?"

"I know. Get some rest, big guy."

Groot stayed close to Rocket. He could feel the soft fur that betrayed his young age through the thin slots in the metal wall and knew that neither of them would get any sleep. Rocket's mind was whirring with ideas, creating, mentally trying and discarding each oe and he had so many millions of thoughts running through his mind that they were all brief and fleeting. He remembered the flower that he had made for Rocket's mother and grew another, staring numbly at the gentle colour until the sun's first light crept into the room.


	6. Rocket's Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rocket mulls over what he knows of his past and finds his new neighbour to be rather useful.

He didn't know when he first became self-aware. All he knew from his past were his first words and his first memories. Nothing else. He certainly didn't have a mother and had no interest in acquiring one. His new neighbour, now _he_ was interesting. Big, probably strong, friendly and blatantly innocent.

Rocket would need to protect him. There was no way Groot could survive this place long. Nor could he, probably, but he was tougher. He knew things Groot didn't. He knew how the scientists didn't like being spoken back to (not that it would ever stop _him)._ He knew how to memorise commands to the ships in the ports. He knew how to fly. In fact he didn't know all the shit he knew. All he could remember was being given information by the surgeries that had been performed with or without his knowledge. Some hurt. Some didn't. Whatever.  
Taking Groot under his wing wasn't entirely selfless. He knew his own limitations and he wasn't strong or tall. And he didn't know what Groot could do. He didn't know what Groot _was,_ but he could see why Gax thought he was mindless. He heard the three same words each time Groot spoke, but _somehow,_ he got it. He knew what he was saying, mostly. He actually thought it was genius. Why say hundreds of different words that meant billions of things when you could say exactly three and mean just as much? As he lay in the corner of his cage mulling over things in his mind, the door open. Gavaar. Rocket didn't afford him so much as a glance. Let the bastard waste his air by speaking the combination of numbers and letters.

"89P13. Male. Weight 2.5 pounds-"

That was just fucking great. Here he was weak with hunger, all bones jutting out of his skin when the _real_ fatass stood judging his weight! Rocket tossed him a disgusted glare. "Prick," he muttered.

Luckily, Rocket supposed, Gavaar hadn't heard his curse. "The subject is four-and-a-half months of age. 89P13 is my responsibility as I was the one who made it what it is today."

"What is it exactly?"

"A weapon. Now," Gavaar's voice shifted and Rocket realised he was looking at Groot. "This is a rarity, the last of its kind. A Flora Colossus, young adult if I had to guess. We haven't weighed it yet, but it is your responsibility, yours to experiment on. It has the ability to speak but can only speak its name for the timebeing. You would do well to train it to talk."

"It has a name? I thought the creatures here went by their numbers." Rocket caught sight of a female with bright orange skin. The two of them together made his eyes hurt.

"The subjects do. The Flora Colossus goes by its own numbers, but it's stubborn and _refuses_ to respond to the numbers-"

Rocket hid a snort. Good for Groot. Let 'em suffer!

"-Sometimes it's like it's ignoring us!" Gax chuckled warmly and patted the orange woman's arm. "Introduce yourself to it. It calls itself 'Groot'."

"Groot, my name is Lesa Beronn." The orange-skinned woman said very loudly. "Can you say 'Lesa'?"

"I am Groot." Groot muttered. _'What the_ hell _is this?!"_

Rocket snickered. He didn't blame Groot for his horrified reaction one bit. Lesa was downright irritating and he felt sorry for the guy, having her to deal with. Damn, they had to get out of there. They had to. He stopped laughing when Groot shrieked and the bright blue of the zapper lit up the room. "Hey! What you do that for? Can't you tell it's all he can say?"

"Stay out of this, vermin!" Lesa snapped. "Dr. Gavaar and I are of a higher, more advanced form than you two and if Groot can speak those three words, he is _able to speak more._ Get that into your brain, limited as it is, and don't you dare interfere again!" Gavaar gave her a sharp look, one she didn't notice. 

"You're a real class act, Lesa." He got zapped that time. He could feel his internal organs humming inside him as he lay panting on the floor of his cage. He made out the form of something long and brown trailing from Lesa's pocket to Groot's cage and realised Groot was trying to retrieve something from her. "No, really. I bet Gavaar loves having someone who looks like the embodiment of earwax wandering around. Compliments his phlegmy- AHHHH!" Two zaps in a row were always agony, but after, he saw that the brown tendril was gone and he rested back, hoping whatever Groot had was either edible or useful.

"I'll see to you later, Subject 89P13," said Gavaar coolly and he led Lesa away, no doubt filling her empty head with talk about how they were superior beings. Dick.

Rocket peered through the wall at Groot. "What you got there, pal?"

Groot passed it to him. It was a plain card with Lesa's face on it. "I am Groot." _'When I first came here, I saw one of these things get used to open a door. Maybe we can use it?'_

Rocket turned it over in his hands. "Yeah..but these collars, Groot. They track us. Soon as we leave this room, we'll get found. But..." He held it out of his cage in front of the lock and grinned triumphantly as the door opened. "We can get in and out. Good job!" He shut the door in case Gavaar suddenly returned and passed the key through to Groot. "Can you hide it anywhere?"

Groot's tendrils left the cage again and lifted a cupboard. He dropped the key underneath and gently replaced the cupboard. "I am Groot." _'There. Let's see those poisonous things get it now!'_

"Yeah. Look, I don't know what she's gonna do, but you can't let her break you down. I'm right here, okay?"

"I am Groot." _'Okay. Me too.'_


	7. Groot's Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Groot loses his temper and confirms that both he and Rocket are friends after a simple, yet essential, act of kindness.

The next day after their first meeting, Lesa was back. Her orange face was lit up by a wide smile that left her eyes looking cold and empty. Groot eyed her warily, but couldn't help warming up after she presented him with a turquoise cherry with teal flesh. It tasted nice, much better than the red grapes, but the stone tasted bitter and he grimaced lightly after swallowing it down.

"Good," she said, the smile still fixed to her face. "Come with me."

Groot had no choice. His metal collar was attached to a chain and he was led out, hearing Rocket mutter how awful they were being, treating him like a common animal. It grew warm, stuffy, like a cloudy summer evening and he became aware of chilling screams and desperate cries behind silver doors, but every time he stopped, Lesa tugged the collar harshly. He had never been so afraid, not even when there had been a huge thunderstorm on Planet X and three whole fields were set alight with the green lightning fires. "Please don't hurt me," he whispered.

"Shut _up."_ Lesa was fiddling with her pocket. "I lost my fucking key yesterday," she muttered to herself. "Had Gax bitchin' at me all day until we realised it got stuck under some random cupboard. Stupid fucking thing." She located her new key and the door opened. "In!"

He had to duck as he entered the room, and then looked around. White everywhere. Painful bright lights. And in the middle of the room was a dull silver slab with chains and circles littered upon it. Lesa pointed to the slab and he sat down, fidgeting at the unwelcome cold.

"I'm told your species can't feel pain. But that's not true." Lesa clicked one of the circles around his left wrist and walked to his right. "I know you can feel pain and I'm going to use that to our advantage."

Groot stilled. He could feel his lifeforce pumping viciously around his body. "Please don't hurt me," he begged again. "I'm speaking, just like you are. I just _sound_ differently!"

"Shh. You will be conditioned to speak normally." Now both his wrists were locked, she pressed a button on the slab and Groot slammed backwards. "You're going to literally be my biggest success." She put more cold metal around his ankles and they were brought to the icy slab. She left the slab and returned with a horrible circle, the edges covered in nasty, toothlike spikes. "Let's see what goes on inside your head."

It began buzzing and Groot started to panic, as any would in his situation. He flailed and roared in fear, the circles holding him steady. _"Help!_ Help me, someone, please!"

The door opened just as the whizzing spikes made contact with Groot's forehead. Someone cried out in horror. "Lesa, what _are_ you doing?!" It was Gax Gavaar. He snatched the horrible sharp circle from her hands and it died quickly. "This is the last of its breed, the _very_ last one! It is not to be operated on via its head or trunk! If it dies, there will _never_ be another in its place and you know that! I'm surprised by you!"

"I wanted to study its brain!"

"Then x-ray it! You need it to keep alive for as long as possible. No operations wherein survival is low, do you understand me?"

As Gavaar stormed away, Lesa swore a plethora of ugly, disgusting words. She snatched something from the ceiling and stared at it angrily. "Okay. Fine. X-ray this termite-ridden son of a bitch's brain..."

Groot was outraged. _Termite-ridden?_ How dare she! He had been frightened almost to death and now she was insulting him! He was so hurt and angered that he did something that Flora Colossi very rarely did. He lost his temper. In a show of strength that even surprised him, he tore his wrists free, pulled his ankles away from the slab and stood, staring down at her gawping, brightly coloured face. "'Termite-ridden'?" Groot bellowed. "I'll give you 'termite-ridden'!" With that, he stuck his fingers into the two holes on her face, growing them until they met resistance and picked her off the floor. She pressed the zapper button and they both screamed together, her blood beginning to make lime green trails down his arms.

"Good God!"

"Dogta Gaba'! Helb be!" Lesa bleated helplessly. "Id attacked be for no reason!"

Liar! Groot growled in rage and grew his fingers more. Something like water splashed against his bark. Then he became aware of a terrible burning and dropped Lesa to the ground where she lay screaming and holding her nose which bled bright green. Groot watched helplessly as the liquid peeled away his bark and crumpled to the floor, his cries drowning out Lesa's. Something covered his mouth and he breathed in something sickly, his vision darkening instantly. When he awoke, he was tied down to something metal again. He tried clenching his fists, but his hands didn't seem to work. He tried raising his forearm, but it didn't lift. Then he saw why.

One of them had removed his arms. From the elbow down, nothing was there. Despite the fact he knew they would grow back, he instinctively began trembling and it took some time for his brain to catch up with his body and calm things down. And then he noticed the pain. Even though regenerative powers were integral in the Flora Colossi species, it didn't make them immune to pain. He could also feel the liquid that had eaten away at his bark as though it had recently been applied. Gold eyes suddenly bored into his. It was her.

Lesa pressed the zap button, smiling as he writhed and screamed. "I know you come from a race of degenerative savages with no education, no decency and no goodness. It's not your fault. But now you're here-" she zapped again, the blue illuminating the bandage across her nose. "-You will learn how to become a useful item. It was for the best that Planet X was destroyed. It's good there's no more of you." She rubbed the stump of what had been his right arm. "Now, you will never harm another innocent again. Gax will be here soon and he's going to put you back. I suggest you stay very quiet. In several days, you will begin learning."

Groot stared up at the ceiling even though the whiteness of it hurt his eyes. Gavaar came and he released his bonds, guiding him back to the cageroom, talking nonsense as though they were old friends. He talked about his life, his freedom, his family. Things that Groot no longer had. He entered his cage without a word and stared at the floor, not even looking up when Gavaar left

"Groot! What the hell happened?" Rocket reached through the bars that separated them and managed to touch just above the elbow as Groot edged closer to him. "What did that bitch _do_ to you?"

"I don't think it was her. It was _him."_

"What happened, man? I heard screaming when Gavaar was with me earlier."

"I hurt her."

Rocket's ears pricked up in obvious interest. "Did you? Why?"

"She said I had termites."

It was clear Rocket didn't quite understand why that was a bad thing. "Groot...aren't trees supposed to have bugs and shit?"

"Termites are a sign of one who is too weak. Their bark is so soft that termites can burrow into them." Groot set his jaw. "I am not a tree, something that is mindless. I am a Flora Colossus. I think, I feel, I move. Trees do neither of those things."

"I get you. What did you do to her?"

Groot sighed. Rocket would probably think he was terrifying now, but he figured his friend would soon realise the truth. "I stuck my fingers up her nose and grew them. Then I...I lifted her off the floor."

"By her nose?" Rocket stared at him for a few seconds before devolving into loud, hysterical laughter.

"It's not funny!" Groot protested. "I just got so angry that...Rocket, stop laughing!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Rocket wiped his eyes and breathed deeply. "Groot, you shoulda let her pick her own nose, but can't say she didn't deserve it. But was that all she did?"

"She tried to cut open my head with a circle. She wanted to look at my brain."

"A circle?" Rocket mimed something spinning. "Did it have spikes around it?"

"Yeah, it did."

"Oh, shit. That's a saw and..." Rocket rubbed his spine ruefully. "Yeah, I can imagine why you got pissed. I can't believe they maimed you like that after what _she_ did."

Groot shrugged. "I'll live."

Rocket stared at him. "Are you _seriously_ downplaying this? They hacked off your fucking _arms!"_

"They'll grow back."

"They'll what?"

Groot couldn't help grinning at Rocket's look of disbelief. "Flora Colossi can grow any part of themselves back."

"Wow." Rocket looked slightly envious. "That's useful." He looked at the stump of Groot's elbow, past it and then frowned at his chest. "What the hell is that?"

Groot looked down where the burning liquid had splashed him. It didn't hurt and was already beginning to heal itself back up again. "They threw a kind of water on me. It hurt."

"Those bastards. That's acid. No wonder it fuckin' hurt."

"I'll be okay."

"We're gonna get out of here. Both of us." Rocket said firmly as the door opened.

Gavaar had brought food. Something grainy filled a bowl and in his spare hand, he carried a bottle of water. He put them in Rocket's cage through a hatch at the top and began walking back out.

"Hey! Gavaar! What about Groot, huh? _Gavaar!"_

Gavaar didn't come back. Clearly, they meant to further punish him for daring to fight back. He didn't mind missing food, but missing the precious water would not bide well for him. He turned away so Rocket wouldn't feel guilty for having what he didn't, but Rocket prodded his back with his dark little finger.

"Turn back around, you jackass. I'm not having you wither away just because that dipshit is unhappy. Hold out your- oh." Rocket held out one of the grains. "Open wide then."

"I can't take _your_ food!"

"Shut up and do what I tell you." Rocket shook the grain impatiently. When Groot accepted it, he took one for himself. Together, they finished the bowl. It made him thirstier than ever and Rocket pointed the nozzle inward at him. "I know you need a hell of a lot, but _please_ try not to drink all of it."

He took a tentative gulp and was relieved to see that what was left was sufficient for Rocket. He was still thirsty, but he couldn't bear the thought of repaying Rocket's kindness with dehydration. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it. We will get out, but we have to get out alive."

 He'd had friends, saplings he'd grown with, people he knew and liked to talk with, on Planet X, but he felt almost protected by this smaller being. Rocket was a true friend, a good friend and he leant against the wall dividing them. He knew the answer already, but he asked anyway; "Are we friends, Rocket?"

"Friends? Sure." Rocket was quiet for a moment and then he asked; "What the hell _is_ a friend?"

Groot had to think about that himself before finally answering. "Someone you can talk with about anything. Someone who understands you. Someone who helps you. Someone who cares."

"Ah." Rocket nodded. "Yeah, we're friends. And we'll be friends once we're out of here too."

It had been a really horrible day. But having Rocket _\- his friend -_ made it much more bearable.


	8. Rocket's Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A scientist's pride comes before a fall and Rocket finds there are more benefits to having a friend than someone who is happy to help you escape bad places.

 

Well, shit. He'd not thought the big guy had a temper, but in a place like this, he was bound to go on the attack at some point. Rocket just hadn't figured it would be so soon. He groaned at the pain in his back and pulled a face at the hunger pangs in his stomach. Yeah, he was frickin' starving, but he needed his muscle. He needed his friend. All this fuss about keeping him and Groot - the only ones of their respective kinds - alive and this was the treatment they got. What a fucking joke.

_'You will be able to withstand trauma better now," Gavaar had said after sewing him back up. He had touched the nubs of metal showing through Rocket's freshly shaved back, ignoring his tremors._

_'If only I could get over the trauma of seeing your disgusting-ass face, Gavaar!"_

_The zap had been agonising, three, four, no, a hundred fucking times worse than usual. "Of course, you'll feel this pain easier too. We need to strengthen your heart, refine your lungs."_

_"And strengthen your brains while we're at it." That time, he'd gritted his teeth and rode through the pain._

_"This is for your own good to heighten your chances of survival when your future buyers send you into battles. For now, you are a poor specimen."_

_Rocket had wanted to answer back, but he was too tired from the pain. It had been a relief when he'd been dumped back into his cage and he'd thought his day couldn't get much worse. Then Groot had rocked up with acid burns and amputated arms and he realised that his day wasn't done sucking ass._

He didn't know what was going on today. He looked longingly at the cupboard Groot had hidden the key under, but a glance at his friend told him that the arms hadn't quite finished healing yet. But they would soon. Already, his hands were growing back. Until then, the key was out of bounds and reach. But it was there and it was comforting that they had it. Things were formulating in Rocket's mind - ideas, theories. Then he had it. The beginning. "Groot! Groot, wake up!"

With a rumbling groan, Groot opened his eyes. "I am Groot?" _'Are you alright?'_

 "Yeah, shut up and listen. How much sunlight do you need?"

Groot looked at him tiredly. "I am Groot." _'Around six hours a day. This is alright because the rays come through the window. Not great, though.'_

Rocket grinned, the idea complete within seconds. "Exactly."

"I am Groot." _'I don't understand.'_

"C'mere." Rocket beckoned him closer and put his mouth to the side of Groot's head. "I need you to fake an illness. I'll tell 'em you need more sun. No one here knows shit about your species."

Groot looked hopelessly unsure. "I am...Groot?"  _'But...what if it doesn't work?'_

"Trust me. They are clueless about you. This will work."

"I am Groot." _'I do trust you, Rocket. But I don't know how this will help anything.'_

"These collars track us, right? Eventually, they'll grow reckless enough to leave you out by yourself because they'll think you're too dumb to think of running." Rocket shook his head at Groot's indignant expression. "I don't think you're dumb, you idiot! They do!"

"I am Groot." _'They think_ everyone's _stupid.'_

"Yeah, well, they're the stupid ones. They'll leave you by yourself, not for long, but long enough for you to look beyond the fence to see where the least guarded parts of this hellhole are. Meanwhile, you pretend you've lost your ability to extend yourself and when you're in the lab, you grab something that can pry these collars apart so I can deal with the wiring."

"I am Groot?" _'And then what?'_

"Then we escape."

* * *

They weren't played with for a few days. In that time, they received food and water, but Groot held back on the much-needed resources. When Rocket questioned why, Groot explained that to make the 'illness' work, he had to look ill. His leaves which were already browned, wilted, crumbled and fell to pieces and he looked spongy and wizened by the time Lesa and Gavaar came back.

"What is this?" Gavaar murmured to himself. He opened the door and took Groot's chin, peering into the glazed eyes. "It hasn't fed, Lesa. Why haven't you been noting this?"

"Sir, the creature is dangerous and feral. I feared another attack-"

"Oh, pull yourself together!" Gavaar scoffed at her, a smirk curling his lips. "Call yourself a scientist! Risks are something we all need to take if we are to progress in life."

"I am Groot," Groot rumbled weakly. _'Now, Rocket. Please.'_

Rocket tapped the bars of the cage to get Gavaar's attention. "He needs sunlight, Gavaar. He doesn't get sun in this place."

"Nonsense! It comes through the windows."

"I am Groot." _'Tell him some crap about the sunlight's nutrients getting filtered out.'_

"The nutrients can't get through the glass of the windows." Rocket watched Gavaar closely. The yellow-skinned scientist set his jaw and nodded and Rocket grinned. Phase one was complete.

"Lesa, take the creature outside and remember you are a woman of knowledge, not a simpering housewife."

Lesa's nostrils flared, but she winced and stared at Groot as he crawled out. "Up!"

Poor guy. At least he would be getting something kinda nice, even if he did have that spiteful bitch with him. Gavaar unlocked his cage and reached in for him. Rocket shrank back, unable to help himself. "I can get myself out, thanks."

Gavaar didn't listen. As his hands reached under Rocket's arms, he felt an overwhelming instinct to tear through the bright skin with his claws, but forced it deep down. He absolutely hated being picked up like a child. Even more than that, he hated being _held._ He always had. He leaned away as he always did, and Gavaar tsked, but didn't say a word. He wanted to look into his eyes for some reason and Rocket stared into the sickly brown-green of Gavaar's eyes until he was finally finished. "I really am amazed by your eyesight. In fact, I think we needn't operate your eyes at all, 89P13."

Before Rocket had time to process what had been said, he was dropped back into the cage. He could see Gavaar watching him and clenched his fists. "The hell are you looking at, Gavaar?"

"Wonderful landing instincts. We must test those."

Rocket felt his stomach drop. Tests were never a good thing, especially not with Gavaar. Intelligence tests, sure, but this test would be a _physical_ one and he did not like those. "No, no. You only tested the sensitivity of my hands and feet last month and I still ain't over _that."_

Gavaar's eyes went over his hands, barely healed from the numerous objects that had been forced upon them. "You survived. That's all that matters."

Lesa came back in with Groot and Gavaar smiled brightly. "Did it help?"

"I am Groot." 'I couldn't see a lot, Rocket, but I found something. A knife and it's hidden on me."

Rocket met his eyes and looked over at Lesa. "He says he had a good time with you."

"Did it really?" Lesa remarked icily.

"He also says he's sorry that he hurt you, He was scared and didn't even know he was doing it. Ain't that right, Groot?"

"I am Groot!" _'What? Hell, no!'_

It was working. Lesa had thawed. "Well, I suppose you can't help your species. In, Groot." She poked a turquoise fruit into the cage and left, followed by a grinning Gavaar.

"I am Groot?!" _'Why did you tell her that?!'_

"Because I want her to trust you enough to leave you be in future. I bet she was up your ass outside, right?"

"I am Groot." _'She certainly was.'_

"I know she's an asshole, but she's a powerful asshole." Groot offered him the bright blue fruit, but Rocket shook his head. "Nuh uh. You earned it. Hey, show me this knife."

The knife was tiny, delicate, but it had a mean blade. Groot was very careful with it, trying to avoid the sharp edge of it going too close to Rocket's hands. "I am Groot?"  _'Rocket, what are wires, exactly?'_

"They're these little thin strings made out of metals that send energy to different parts of a machine.  The wires in these collars around our necks are what is responsible for us feeling pain and they track us so the scientists know where we are. And right now, we're in shit creek." It wouldn't fit in the thin lines of the collars. Shit.

"I am Groot." "Are you okay? You seem so tense since I came back."

Rocket looked up and into the eyes of his friend. "I'm fine," he said. "It's just...Gavaar wants to test me. My body, in particular. He wants to test my landing instincts and it's going to suck and it'll hurt regardless of whether he's happy with the results or not." Something bad was going to happen. He just knew it. "I'm scared, Groot. And I'm so tired of feeling pain every single day. The moment I wake up, I can feel the metals in my spine, I can feel the scars on my throat. I know what acid is because my hands were submerged in it weeks ago. They healed them until you can barely tell and my sense of touch is pretty much the same, but they still _hurt._ Gavaar, he will test me until he finds something 'wrong' and then he 'fixes' it. All I can remember..."

"I am Groot." _'You won't be here much longer. I promise.'_

"I know! I just...I don't know what I _am,_ Groot and I don't know if it's because I'm some insane new species or if it's because they've fucked me up so much that I'm nothing!"

"I am Groot." _'You're not nothing! Maybe you're the last of your kind.'_

"How's being the last of anything _good?"_

Groot was quiet and Rocket remembered what Groot had told him about his homeworld. "I am Groot." _'It isn't. It's lonely and painful being the last of something. But you are still part of something that existed. Something that refused to die out.'_

"Yeah, just like a cockroach." Rocket sniped back, but it was without feeling. It didn't stop Groot nudging against the wall as though to admonish him. "Alright, I get it. Yippee, I'm alive. And so are you. We just got to hang on a little longer."

* * *

 The next day, for the first time ever, Rocket went outside. With Gavaar, his collar attached to a lead like he was some common animal. He had been zapped eight times on the journey for pulling and now he glanced around. The rubber ground was soft, gentle and comforting under his feet and he could smell the sweetness of the earth, feel the cool of the wind ruffling through his fur. He had never really noticed the sky before, but now he noticed its rich amber hue, the large white sun shining above a giant structure. Gavaar led him to a ledge attached to the structure and they were taken higher until they were around a hundred feet off the ground.

"89P13, I need to report on your abilities to land. Therefore, I order you to jump."

"You are freaking kidding me!" Rocket exclaimed. "No way am I fucking jumping!"

"You will do as I bid. Jump."

 _"You_ fucking jump. Do us all a favour."

Gavaar reached for him and Rocket instinctively backed away, the metal of the ledge disappearing. The cold wind he'd enjoyed previously was now whipping tears out of his eyes, but he reached out and landed on his feet, shockwaves crashing through his body. "You fucking son of a fucking bitch!" Rocket screamed at Gavaar as the scientist strode over. "You could have fucking killed me!"

Gavaar was holding something out. One of the sharp red grapes Rocket liked so much. "89P13, take it."

"Stick it up your ass, Gavaar."

"89P13, when you have new masters, they will ask you to do much worse, much more frightening things. Eat your grape."

Reluctantly, Rocket took it. The flavour was admittedly bitter, but he liked it. The aftertaste was good for warding off thirst. "We done? You've established that I can land from a hundred feet. That's enough, right?"

Gavaar surveyed him with a detached expression and then looked over at the structure again. "That can go up to five hundred feet."

"No. Gavaar. I can't do five hundred feet. A hundred is my limit. Don't take me back up there."

"You may not be able to do five hundred, but I have every confidence that you can do two hundred."

When Gavaar reached for him, Rocket slashed at him, drawing blood. "No! I'm not going back up there!"

"You are," Gavaar said and he gave him such a long zap that Rocket collapsed, hearing the quickening thump of his heart in his ears. He took him by the scruff and half-dragged him to the structure. "This is for your own good," he remarked as they went higher, reaching a thin wispy cloud that was crimson in colour.

"Please, I'm begging you. Gavaar, _please_ don't do this. _Please!"_ He couldn't fight back. He wanted to but his body had taken such a shock from both the zap and the fall that his limbs disobeyed what his brain ordered.

Gavaar held him over the edge. "By the time you have reached one hundred feet, your body should be able to react. If not..." he shrugged. "Then we shall simply have to try again. This fall won't kill or permanently damage you. It will only hurt."

Rocket closed his eyes. He didn't want to see his trip down to the ground. Air forced itself around his nostrils, making it nearly impossible to breathe and when he did hit the ground, the air was forced out of him at the impact of slamming into compacted soil at the rate of God-knows-how-many miles an hour. Then the pain hit. He knew he'd broken perhaps every large bone in his body. His legs, his arms, his ribs. He moaned lowly at the agony and this noise rose into an animalistic wail.  
Gavaar lifted him off the ground and Rocket really wanted him to get his filthy hands off him, but he knew that Gavaar wouldn't risk him going untreated for fear of his demise, so he continued his noises of pain until the welcome view of the hospital wing came to greet him. Gavaar was his medic and he set about, taking his pictures and bandaging him back together, even having the nerve to say that he'd known the spinal implants would come in handy one day. Fucker even seemed proud.

Gavaar was careful putting him back into his cage this time and as soon as he was gone, Rocket began screaming, forgetting all about his neighbour until a vine came tentatively into his cage. For some reason, Rocket attacked it with his teeth. For another reason, it calmed him down and he was soon lying limply in the least painful position he could find, whimpering and wheezing. "He threw me two hundred feet to the ground," he explained through huffs. "I broke fourteen bones. It _fucking_ hurts."

The vine left his cage and several joined it to lift up the cupboard, taking the key. The cages unlocked and Groot slipped into his cage, though he had to duck. He was even bigger up close like this and he reached for him, touching his shoulder as though afraid. "I am Groot." _'I'm sorry. I'll do better to get us out.'_

"It's not your fucking fault. And don't touch me! I'm not some wounded animal!"

"I am Groot." _'I'm sorry. Can I do anything?'_

"It's fine. Just...stay here. Please."

Groot did stay there. He couldn't stay all night, but he found something inside the little pocket he had and left it with him before he had to return to his own cage. A delicate blue flower, soft and fragrant, centred by a halo of gold. Rocket had never seen such a pretty thing. It was comforting that a part of his friend was with him and he hid it in a corner, so he knew it was there, but to Gavaar, the cage would only appear to contain him. "Thanks, Groot."

"I am Groot." _'You help me, I help you. It's how friendship works.'_

Rocket closed his eyes. "Man, everyone could use a friend like you. Guess I just got lucky."

 "I am Groot." _'And you say_ I'm _sappy!'_

"I'm delirious with pain right now. What's your excuse?"

Groot made a huffing noise that meant he was trying to hide a laugh. "I am Groot." _'Goodnight, Rocket.'_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raccoons can fall 130 feet and survive, according to an internet search I did. As Rocket is enhanced, it isn't much of a stretch to assume he could survive a 200 feet drop. Obviously he isn't scared of heights but no one wants to fall 200 feet with nothing to stop them dying.  
> You might notice Gavaar seems colder than he was when Rocket's mom was pregnant with him and his siblings and when Rocket was a tiny kit, but there's a reason. The reason is he didn't want to risk her losing her kits because she was frightened, he didn't want to risk Rocket keeping his animalistic nature to protect himself and now Rocket is fully grown and matured, he can be as tough and nasty as he feels he needs to be.


	9. Groot's Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Groot comes clean to Rocket and the pair make a decision in light of worrisome news.

"C'mere." Rocket slid his hand between the bars that separated them, resting his fingertips on Groot's wrist. "That woman is vicious, but you gotta remember that I'm gonna be here when you get back, okay? I'll be right here."

"What if I just refuse to go? I'm not the strongest of my kind, but I'm stronger than them."

"They'd zap you unconscious and still expect you to do what they want. She's new, so she won't take long with you. Gavaar always makes the newbies type up his findings for him."

The door opened and Lesa marched in, her insipid smile beaming brightly at him. "Rise and shine! Time for your elocution lessons."

There was no alternative. Reluctantly, Groot followed her down more passageways. This time, the room was bare, except for two silver columns, one of which Lesa pushed him to sit on before seating herself on the other. "Today, you will learn simple words. Say 'do'."

"How is it _my_ fault you can't understand me? And you call _me_ stupid." The zap burned through his body and he shrieked, the high sound painful to his own senses.

"Say 'do'."

"Do!"

"Don't groan like that, this is for your own good. Say 'do'."

Again he did. _Again_ it was wrong. Why couldn't she understand that this wasn't some defunct, recently-dead language? He simply couldn't make their sounds and he had no way of communicating this to her. He started to wonder if she even wanted to know, if she was doing this for her own enjoyment. After hours of torment, he held up his hand to try and implore her to stop. "Please. I'm trying, but I can't do this. I can't do the things you can. Leave me be!"

"Down," she barked, as though he was being impertinent. "Why can't you do this _one_ simple thing? What goes on in that wooden skull of yours?"

"I don't _know-"_

"Enough!" Lesa screamed and she drew out something long and thin and cracked him on the side of his head with it. "I do not want to hear you speaking your old name again, do you hear me? Your kind is long gone and you need to learn to adapt! Then there may be some use for you. Why can't you have more intelligence?"

Groot's head was spinning and he clutched it, moaning lowly. "Please, please..."

Lesa sighed in a frustrated manner. "Come on. You're getting your disgusting sap all over the floor."

The walls shrunk in and grew away as Groot followed her back to the room he and Rocket lived in. He could feel his sap surging over his fingers, trailing down his arms and dripping from the tips of his elbows. He crawled into the cage, feeling safe at last and closed his eyes tightly as he moaned softly in pain.

"What did she do to you?!"

"She hit my head because I couldn't do what she wanted me to do."

"That bitch. Let me see your head. Maybe I can help."

Groot could already feel the wound closing up, but he obediently lowered his head to let Rocket see. "It's getting better now. It just hurts like you wouldn't believe!"

"Oh, I'd believe it, alright. I,- Holy _shit."_ Rocket's bright brown eyes were wide suddenly. "Holy shit, that is some fast healing."

"How long will it take you to heal?"

"Me? A few weeks. I wish I had your abilities."

"Yeah, but Gavaar won't do anything to you now, will he?"

Rocket scratched his ear. "No. But now I gotta wait for the next dose of horror."

And while Rocket was waiting, Groot would be getting hurt by Lesa. Groot pulled himself together a bit and ignored the lightening ebbs of pain. "What should I do when I'm with her next?" He could still see the pained, dulled eyes of Rocket's mother. He didn't want the bright eyes of her son to go the same way. They had to leave before Gavaar could hurt Rocket again.

"Her tablet. The rectangular thing she touches a lot. If we could get that, I'm sure there'd be valuable information on there. We can hide it the same place as her key and you know outside pretty well, don't you?"

He certainly did. Rocket's assessment had been right and Lesa had left him alone, figuring he wouldn't try and escape. He had found a place where spaceships were sitting around and this news had delighted Rocket because, as he said, a ship would be their way out. Now they knew where the ships were, it would be no problem to get in one - it was _getting_ there that was the problem. "What information?"

"Their schedules are on there. Trackers send their data there. It'll help us avoid trouble...at least until we find the guns. Then we'll cause no end of hell before hightailing it out of this shithole."

"If you know how to use guns, why don't you know where they are?"

"Because they know I could kill every son of a bitch in here with a single bullet."

From what Groot knew about guns, he didn't think it was possible to do such a thing. From what he knew about Rocket, it probably was. He nodded politely and leaned against the cage wall that separated him and Rocket. "How many worlds are there, Rocket?"

"I don't know. Billions, maybe."

"Really?"

"Yep. And we're going to see them all once we're out."

"Maybe we'll find a world with your species on it. Wouldn't you like that?"

Rocket huffed lightly. "That's impossible. I'm the only one of me there has ever been or will be."

Groot stilled. Did he have no right at all, keeping such a secret? But how would Rocket feel knowing he'd had the love Groot had once had, only for it to be snatched away when he'd been so tiny and helpless? He didn't remember her. He didn't miss her and Groot could easily understand why. He'd not missed having a mother, himself, but he'd had a father. One who died to keep him safe. Well, he would keep Rocket safe. He would. "I won't let Gavaar hurt you again. I promise we'll be gone before he's had a chance to hurt you again."

"What about Lesa?"

"I'll be fine."

"Dammit, Groot." Rocket's voice was almost unnoticeable. "I know this isn't something you ever prepared for. How are you so tough?"

"I don't feel tough." Groot admitted. "I feel weak. But I can't _be_ weak or things will only stay the same."

"Yeah, I guess." Rocket shifted and something glinted in the harsh white light.

Groot stared and craned his neck, seeing a protrusion of metals poking through the flesh on Rocket's back. "Rocket, what are-"

 _"Don't_ ask. If I want you to know, I'll tell you, but that day ain't now."

Groot couldn't stop himself from a final question. "How many things have happened to you?"

"Modifications? Surgeries? Injuries? Punishments? Fuck knows. I know everything about everything, but I don't know shit about me. Now, shut up asking questions and get some sleep."

 Groot knew Rocket wasn't mad about his questions, because he slept facing him. In his dreams, he flinched and recoiled. Only when Groot tenderly touched his face with a hastily-grown tendril did the fearful movements and noises cease to exist.

* * *

He went without food and water for eight days following the 'lesson'. When Lesa finally returned with a clear pitcher of water, he dragged himself to the cage door, eyeing the liquid greedily. Flora Colossi were not meant to go more than a week without water. Any longer than a fortnight and they withered  and died. His leaves were browning and as Gavaar had forced nozzles of water down Rocket's throat and given him pouches of shit (at least that was Rocket _said_ he'd been given), there hadn't even been a drop of water for him. "Water," he breathed.

"If you're good, you get rewarded. Do you know how long it's been since you've eaten? I figured water would be a stronger motivation. Nothing like the agony of thirst. Come on!"

He kept knocking into walls as he followed her into uncomfortably familiar territory. This was a place he knew, the place where he had lost his temper and, however temporarily, his arms. "No, no.."

"Shh! Sit down here."

He reached for the water after obeying her, but she struck him across his cheek sharply. "No! That's bad!" Putting the water on a table, she took his arm and placed something circular around it. To his other arm and both legs, similar circles were attached. They pulled him onto his back on the cold metal and he squirmed anxiously under the bright light and gasped harshly as she put a blade to his throat. "Don't-"

"Shut up and keep still!"

Groot barely held back a low screech as she cut into his neck. He could hear her sawing at his skin, hear the oozing of his sap all over the stark white of her fingers and felt hot tears, last of the reserves of water in his body, roll out of his eyes. Something - something inside his neck - felt cooler. He gulped and felt something bob.

"Say something."

"Please, stop!"

"Shh. So, this is your voicebox." Lesa poked his neck and Groot could hear something solid being tapped. "My, it's so tough. Remarkable. I see how solid it is. Pity. I won't be able to teach you anything. Oh well. Your regeneration abilities will come in useful for research." She tapped a button on her tablet and the circles loosened instantly. "You will need to stay in here until you've healed sufficiently. We don't want you sullying this place."

Groot was just about to give her a piece of his mind when something wonderful happened. Lesa put her tablet on the table by the pitcher. He lashed out an arm for the water and tensed himself for the zap. When it came, he knocked the pitcher and the tablet to the floor where both the pitcher and the tablet shattered. His heart cried out for the lost water, but he was soon rewarded by Lesa's scream as he rose up and roared at her as though he was some fearsome beast. She fled and just after Groot had picked the tablet from the floor and hidden it inside his chest, Gavaar came in. Groot could tell by his weary expression that he was fed up with Lesa and made a show of looking mournfully at the water on the floor.

"Yes, I know, she panicked just because you got up. She really is a fool, that girl. You won't be seeing her again. Come, I'll find you some water."

What luck! Groot followed Gavaar and was given a full bowl of water. He was so excited by it that he forgot about offering Rocket any. "I'm sorry!" he exclaimed after realising his mistake. "You must have been thirsty too."

"I'm not as bad as you. Why are you holding yourself so awkwardly?"

Groot took out the tablet. He could tell by Rocket's face it was in less than perfect shape and felt his stomach drop. "Is..isn't it good enough?"

"No, no, it'll be fine. Get the key so I can hold it." This time, Rocket came to him, standing on his thigh to hold the tablet in his tiny paws. He opened up the back, jiggled around some wires and it glowed white. "It's not registered to anyone. Hey, the bastards here aren't registered or nothin'. Not like us. Hey!" Rocket was suddenly excited, grinning widely. "Hey, we're on here! I wonder what they say about me."

"Probably that you're adorable and fluffy and they all want to cuddle you and brush your fur."

"Shut up, you great jackass!" Rocket batted his chest playfully. "You know what? We got more important things to worry about right now. Hide this and I'll head back to my own cage."

* * *

 

_One week later_

 

When Gavaar visited, he leaned against Rocket's cage and looked down at him out of those cold eyes. "89P13, I am here with some excellent news."

"You're dying?"

"Don't be impertinent. You're never going to get injured again. I'm going to advance your skeletal structure even further."

"Yeah, no. You've fucked with my body enough, Gavaar."

"Yes. Your spine should never have been the end of my adjustments. I'm going to infuse your body with metalwork as I did with your spine. You will be _invincible."_

"I remember what you did to my spine. You pulled the bones apart, you tore the ligaments and you poured-" Rocket's voice grew tense. "No, you can't, Gavaar. You can't do this!"

"Tomorrow, 89P13, phase one of your new adjustments will begin."

As Gavaar left, Groot could feel Rocket's tremors. "Rocket, it will be alright. I'm sure he won't -"

"Won't what? Fuck me over?" Rocket ran the heels of his palms over his eyes. "What's the use of me trying to leave? I won't be able to _crawl_ this time tomorrow. He'll tear me open, rip apart my bones and pour molten metal into my body all to make his perfect weapon. Why, Groot? Why was I made?"

Groot couldn't keep the secret anymore. He reached for the key where it was hidden and unlocked the cage doors, passing Rocket the tablet. "You need to find 89P09."

"Who the fuck's that?" Rocket grumbled, but he found her. He became very, very quiet as he took in the bright brown eyes, the markings he and his mother shared. "What- what's this?"

"She's your mother, Rocket."

"No. Groot, no, I don't have a mother, I _can't_ have a mother. People with mothers don't- no!"

"She attacked Gavaar when he tried to take you. She wanted you to be safe, Rocket."

"How do you know?"

Groot looked at his feet and steeled himself. "I saw you both when I first came here. This little grey creature with a tiny infant. I was with her at the end of her life."

"At the end - oh, fuck." Rocket sat down and curled up. "That...Gavaar told me he made me! He said, he always said he made me! He said I came from his mind and his talents. He said!"

"She _loved_ you, Rocket."

"Did she say anything about me?"

Groot shook his head. "She couldn't speak."

"Then how do you _know_ she loved me?"

"Because she fought _so_ hard to protect you! Even against Gavaar."

Rocket shook his head as he took it in. "Yeah. Guess she did. Man, I can't _believe_ he lied to me. Yeah, I know I'm an idiot to trust the evil science guy, but...why lie?"

"Because he's warped and twisted." Groot touched the bars that separated him and Rocket. "I'm sorry I kept it a secret from you."

_"Why did you?"_

"I didn't think you'd believe me!"

"You idiot." Rocket huffed, but it was without any real venom. "I know I can believe you! I _trust_ you. You never have to worry that I won't believe anything you tell me, Groot. We don't keep secrets from each other no more. Got it?"

Groot was more than happy to agree. Secrets made him feel strange.

"I owe it to her a little to make it out of this shitpile. Mostly, it's for us, but she took on Gavaar for me. Come on, Groot!"

To Groot's amazement, Rocket jumped out of his cage and, rather than go into his, he simply held Groot's door open. "What are you thinking?"

"Mommy dearest isn't the only one who is a fighter. You and me are too. Get out here and unlock the door. The first scientists we see, we attack. We know the layout of the building. I can't believe we've taken so fucking long."

"We don't know the codes-" The armoury code was nowhere to be found, no matter how many times Rocket did something called 'hacking'.

"You're strong."

Oh. Groot realised what Rocket meant. He thought of Rocket going through his flesh being ripped apart, having bones broken again and again. He got up and crouched in front of him. "Climb on my shoulder. You'll be safer and able to see better."

"Thanks, pal." Rocket hooked his claws painlessly into the top layer of bark and stood on his shoulder, not even wobbling as Groot stood. "You ready?"

Groot nodded and held the key to the door. "I'm ready."


	10. Rocket's First Escape

They were lucky. Stupidly, ridiculously lucky, in that they managed to find an empty lab room which had instruments lain out. Rocket had a sickly feeling they had been meant for him, but he ignored this as he worked off first Groot's collar and then his. He massaged his neck and sighed deeply. "Damn, that feels good. Get used to this, Groot. You and me, we'll never be collared again. Come on! We gotta find the armoury."

"Hey!"

Rocket felt the blood drain to his heart. "Damnit! Gavaar. Of fuckin' course..."

Gavaar pressed the button on his tablet, growing more and more irritated by the second. Then he spotted the broken collars and nodded. "I see. You always were above average intelligence for your kind, 89P13."

"Uh-huh." Ass-kissing would not save Gavaar now. Rocket eyed him coldly. "And what about Mom? Was she intelligent too?"

"89P13-"

"89P _09!_ That ring any bells, you yellow sack of shit?"

"She was aggressive. She'd outlived her purpose. I did what needed to be done."

"Aggressive, huh? Groot!"

Like he'd read his mind, Groot shot out a spool of vines which wrapped themselves around Gavaar, imprisoning him easily.

He noticed Groot looked away, but he didn't blame him. It wasn't gonna be pretty, what he was going to do to Gavaar. He picked up a pair of pliers, recognising them as the items used to snap the ligament in his back all those weeks ago. "Let's start with some enhancements, Doc..."

* * *

He certainly felt a lot lighter after washing Gavaar's blood from his hands. His humming was directly in Groot's ear, but his friend didn't seem to mind. A shot rang out, making Groot jump so violently, Rocket nearly fell from his shoulder. "Easy, Groot, easy! You got me here!"

"I am Groot!" _'That was the loudest noise!'_

"Yep. A very _good_ noise. Grab 'em!" What Rocket had meant was for Groot to entangle them in vines like he had done to Gavaar. What actually happened both thrilled and shocked him. Groot grew his arms to an unbelievable length and they tore through the eight scientists and three security members as though they were made of paper.

Groot lifted them. Some of the bastards slipped off the ends of his limbs and lay dying, their groans mirroring the sounds of their subjects. Suddenly, they were flung from his arms and Groot retracted. He looked at Rocket. "I am Groot?" _'Was that okay?'_

"That was _fuckin'_ awesome!" Rocket scanned the ground and noticed the guns scattered around. New plan. "We ain't going to the armoury. We're going to the port." He jumped down and was immediately scooped back up again. "Hey! Do you mind? I don't intend to let you have all the fun killing those bastards!"

"I am Groot!" _'You'll get hurt!'_

 _"You'll_ get hurt if you don't let me down, you son of a bitch!"

"I am Groot!" _'Don't_ ever _call my father a bitch!'_ Groot suddenly frowned in curiosity. "I am Groot?" _'What_ is _a bitch, anways?'_

"Forget it. Get those guns up, will you?" Just his luck to have literally the most overprotective tree in the universe as his friend. Rocket soon realised he couldn't hold all three, so Groot grew three sturdy branches for them. Maybe having an overprotective tree friend wasn't so bad after all. Rocket knew the guns. They were well-stocked, to the point he knew he didn't need much else, especially as Groot was going to help him fight. More came. More attacked them. More died. But the most difficult part was in the port. The supply ships had just come in and they had guys with bigger, more powerful guns and they wasted no time in shooting. Rocket might have been the first and last of his particular breed and Groot might have been the last remaining survivor of his species, but these facts meant nothing now. They had dared fight back and now they weren't wanted. A fact which suited them both fine. "I need one of their guns, Groot! These aren't enough any more!" He would keep them. They would be useful eventually. But right now was what was important.   
Groot lashed out his arms, growing them at least twenty feet, trying to snatch an ankle. The arms got shot to bits, but he kept growing them back. Meanwhile, his bark was changing, Rocket could feel it growing harder, stronger beneath his feet. He clung to Groot's back, knowing better than to get in the way. His patience was rewarded when one of the supply guys was dragged screaming toward them. Groot whipped the gun out of his hands and kicked him hard at his crewmates, sending them all flying and began running to the now crewless supply ship. Another bullet whizzed by. It was Lesa. Rocket lifted the new, heavy gun and shot her in the face, sending fragments of orange and scarlet everywhere. "Sorry, Groot, I know she hurt you and not me."

"I am Groot." _'It's okay. You're better at it than me.'_

They reached a brief impasse when they got to the ship as it needed a crew member's fingerprints, but Rocket directed Groot to pick up one of the guys by his arm and press his finger to the pad. The airlock opened and they entered. This wasn't something Rocket had ever done before, but he knew what to do and how to do it. He rewired the programming to make the ship more accepting to them in case they needed to get in and out of the ship and started the engine, feeling it rumble and purr. Before they knew it, they were weightless, up in the air, past the 200 feet Rocket had once fallen at Gavaar's hands. He found the weaponry and aimed it at the building they had just left.

"I am Groot?" _'You can't, Rocket! What about the others like us still there?'_

Shit. "Fine. Killjoy." He'd nearly forgotten to disable the tracking on the ship and did it while steering it out of the atmosphere into the deep blackness of space. He could see the bright spirals of colourful galaxies, stunning nebulae, distant pale stars and moons, planets. All there. All theirs. After all this time. "We did it, Groot!"

"I am Groot?" _'I know! Isn't it great? Where are we going?'_

"Xandar." Rocket said firmly, because it was a planet he had heard Gavaar talk about so dismissively, he was sure no one from Halfworld would ever think to look there. "You'll love it. There's lakes and beaches and forests and a chance to make something good out of our lives. We'll be so much happier there. We're finally free!" He pressed the autopilot button and headed away from the console. "Come on. We need to eat or we'll starve before Xandar." The provisions were kept at he very back of the ship. Jerkies. Protein bars. And plenty of water. "Okay, perishables first. Can you eat meat?"

Groot shuddered at the thought. "I am Groot!" _'Meat is poison to me,'_ he explained.

"Okay. Jerkies for me, bars for you. What do you want?" In the far left corner, Rocket found a small pouch filled with the same red grapes Gavaar used to reward him with. He picked up one of the small crimson fruits and felt a churning feeling in his chest. "All this time, he was my family, kinda. He made me what I am now."

"I am Groot." _'No.'_  Groot shook his head. "I am Groot." _'Gavaar was evil. He hurt you. Families love each other and he... he could never feel love. Your mother was your family."_

 _"_ She's not here." Rocket snapped.

"I am Groot." _'I know I'm not her, but I'm here.'_

Rocket looked up from the grape, startled. "Yeah," he said after a while. "You are here, aren't you? Here to keep me sane or drive me crazy."

"I am Groot." _'I could say the same for you!'_

"Hey!" Rocket protested, but he felt better about eating the grape, flinching at the bitter taste. "I guess you knew my mother no better than I did, right?"

"I am Groot." _'I wish I knew more about her. I'm so sorry.'_

Rocket looked out toward the stars. "Did it hurt her when she died?"

Groot hesitated, but he obviously remembered their _'no secrets'_ deal. "I am Groot." _'She was hurting. I tried, but I couldn't do much. I made her a flower after she passed. It's what we did on Planet X, to remind ourselves of the deceased and how beautiful they made the world.'_

"I appreciate that." Rocket said and he meant it, thinking of how weak and frightened she must have felt. "You know, I read about her on that tablet. I had brothers and sisters. That place took 'em from me, just like it took her away. I was all she had and I feel nothing for her."

"I am Groot." _'That isn't your fault! Gavaar and the ones who took her away from her home are the ones to blame. At least you're here and alive. You're free and that was what she wanted.'_

That was true. They had both gotten what they wanted for him - freedom. He couldn't waste time moping about what could have and what should have been. He squared his shoulders and sat back at the console, taking the machine off auto-pilot. He needed to focus, to concentrate on something else or he would only start to forget the more important things. Like what the hell they were going to do with their new-found futures. He scratched his knee absent-mindedly and reached back to rub the cold metal protrusions from his spine. He could _feel_ Groot looking at him, not in disgust or horror, but simple wonder and sighed. Better to tell him now rather than have those politely curious eyes on him for the rest of his life. "Remember Gavaar said he had made alterations to my spine? Well, this is the external part of his artwork."

"I am Groot?" _'Do they hurt?'_

"Of course they hurt. Somewhere in this ship is a crate and in that crate is medication I need to get through the day without curling up in a corner and crying like a baby. I don't want to talk about the fucked up shit he did to me again. Understand?"

"I am Groot." _'Okay.'_

"Good." Again, Rocket could feel Groot's eyes on the back of his head. He turned the chair to look at him. "What now?"

"I am Groot?" _'What is a bitch, Rocket?'_


	11. Groot's Leaving

He hadn't been able to grow flowers properly in such a long time that he went _slightly_ over the top. Slightly. It looked so much prettier in the ship now. He found the medicine crate and placed it by Rocket. "Wakey-wakey!"

Rocket jolted and glared at the crate as though it had offended him. "Don't make loud noises when I'm asleep! It goes in one ear and doesn't even make it to the other..." He got up from where he had been curled on the seat and suddenly stared around, his bright brown eyes wide. "What the fuck happened in here?"

"Don't you like it?" It suddenly dawned upon Groot that perhaps, just _perhaps,_ Rocket didn't like flowers or greenery.

 "It's a damn sight better than the lab." Rocket hopped onto the medicine crate and started fiddling with the little notches on the sides. He stopped and held his hands to his back, breathing in sharply. "If I tell you what to do, can you get this thing open? The pain is starting to hit."

Groot waited until Rocket climbed down to the floor and peered at the crate. He could see little slivers of metal with numbers on them and placed his fingers underneath the notches, taking off the lid neatly. "Done!"

"Well, that simplifies things. The stuff I need, it's in a yellow bottle."

Groot found one, but it was too big. The second one turned out to be too small. The third one wasn't a bottle, but something called a 'tube'. The fourth one was a syringe. Finally, on the fifth attempt, he found the right one and watched as Rocket swallowed a tiny white circle. Inside the bottle were hundreds of the same white circles. "How do they work?"

"There's chemicals inside them that can find the pain and they mask it. You gotta be careful with medicine, because if you take too much, you'll die horribly." Rocket looked at the crate. "Put it back, will you? It's spoiling the view."

By the time Groot came back, Rocket was back at the console, looking at a screen. He pointed at a circle with lines drawn over it, making an unusual pattern. "There's Xandar. We aren't far away."

"How far?"

"A couple days." Rocket reached up for a dangling green vine. "Was it like this on your homeworld?"

"Well, we didn't live on a spaceship, so it was a bit different."

"Smartass."

Groot tucked the vine back in with the others that wove across the ceiling. "Ours was a beautiful world. There were meadows with grass so long that saplings would play hide and seek in it for hours. Fields with flowers of all shapes, sizes and colours. Forests with trees so tall that even the biggest of our kind were dwarfed by them. There were four silver suns and the skies were a peach colour at day and darkened to crimson at night. In the centre of our world was a mountain and water fell in a gentle flow from four sides of it, each side collecting water in its own lake. From these lakes, rivers were made and they all reached our ocean." Groot looked around at the metal, the bright flashing lights, the machinery of the ship and shook his head. "This is nothing like home."

"If you want, we can go there. In the time you've been gone, maybe it's started to grow back, all the things you remember."

Groot shook his head. "The fire poisoned everything. And it was all so dead that nothing can ever grow again."

"How did those guys find you?"

Groot shrugged. "I was on that mountain, the one with the water I told you about. All of a sudden, I could feel myself moving through the air and found myself in the ship. I think they were flying above Planet X and noticed my movement as I climbed up the mountain."

"Why were you up the mountain?"

"It was where my grandfather and his father and his father went to die. My great-great-great grandfather was the one who started our race. The story went that he was once a simple tree, the same as all the others in our forests, and he awoke one day, finding himself alone on Planet X. Not wanting to be alone, he broke off a twig from a nearby tree and grew it into the first of our females. Then he made others, males and females alike before growing his son - my father's grandfather."

"What happened? That fire."

"A ship dropped it on us because we refused to surrender our resources." Groot couldn't remember the name now. It seemed to have happened many centuries ago. "My _father_ refused to surrender our resources." Sometimes he wondered what might have happened if he had agreed. "I don't know if he did the right thing or not."

"If he'd agreed, something worse would have happened."

"Maybe."

"There's no 'maybe' about it. Whoever it was would have used that fire and the others were lucky to get it over with quickly than go through what we did." Groot had no argument for that, simply because there _was_ no argument. There had been days when he'd wished he had been one of the dead on Planet X, but Halfworld had one very bright silver lining and it was twiddling about with the controls in the flight deck. He peered over Rocket's shoulder at the bright, flashing colours of the buttons and reached out curiously to touch one of them, only for Rocket to grab his finger and stop him in his tracks. "Not _that_ one. That's the button for unloading the cargo and while it wouldn't kill us, it would make the next few days very uncomfortable if we lost all our food and water."

It certainly would and Groot resolved to avoid touching the buttons. At least until they reached Xandar. He noticed Rocket seemed very defensive as time wore on, hunched over as if protecting himself. "What's wrong? You seem to be worried."

"I'm fine."

"Are you cold..?" Flora Colossi had to be in dire conditions to notice extreme heat or cold, so Groot had little experience in the matter, but he recognised the reaction to heat from the people at Halfworld and he couldn't recognise that Rocket felt particularly warm.

"Kinda. It's hard to explain."

"What can I do?"

Rocket thought for a few moments and shook his head. "Nothing. It's fine, I don't know why I'm acting so stupid."

Groot huffed because he knew Rocket was keeping a secret and he didn't like it at all. "No more secrets!"

"Forget I said that."

"No."

"It is hard to explain. It's...in the cage, nothing bad happened. I was in there after bad things happened, but I was safe there and now there's nothing that's always there to protect my body from people."

 _"I'm_ going to do that."

"No, something not alive. Something that's just there. It's like I need there to be something _around_ me." Rocket stared out into the inky depths of the universe, his small fists clenched on the panel. "Oh, this is stupid. I always hated that fucking cage and now I almost wish I had the fucking thing with me." He raised a fist as though to strike out at the control panel and suddenly slammed a button that stopped the ship in its tracks before jumping from the seat and storming off.

Groot knew from his own people that when others were angry, they needed space to curse or grumble or throw large boulders around, so didn't immediately follow. When he did, he could hear sobbing, small, stifled, but still very much there. He was at a loss at first because this was _Rocket_ who knew everything, who always had a plan or some mad idea, who refused to dwell on sad things. And he was crying as though his heart had been broken into thousands of painful pieces, which it may well have been, knowing the evil ones of Halfworld. Groot couldn't hide away, but he had no idea what to do until he began thinking of his father who had always known what to do. He made his way to Rocket and knelt on the floor, reaching out and cradling his shoulders with both hands until finally, Rocket looked into his eyes, those bright brown eyes brimming with tears. Groot didn't say a word. His father wouldn't have.

"Why did it have to be my mom brought to Halfworld? Why did I have to be the only one out of five to live? Why did they do _this_ to me?" Rocket wrapped his fingers around Groot's wrists and took in a deep, shuddering breath. "I didn't do anything. I was a _baby,_ Groot."

Again, Groot kept quiet. He knew Rocket enough that he knew this would be a rarity. Rocket didn't vent like this, it just wasn't him.

"I know we're free, but I feel so _wrong._ I was born there, I was raised there and..." Rocket's breathing grew more rapid. "What did I do? _What have I done?_ What if they find me?"

Now, he had to speak, remind Rocket that there was no chance of them being found. "You kept us safe, Rocket. You destroyed the tracker of this ship."

His input worked and Rocket began calming down, though he didn't let go of him. Instead, he shook his head. "I just don't understand how I can miss part of that fucking place. What's _wrong_ with me? What did they _do?"_

"It's as you said; you were never hurt there. It was a safe space in the worst place in the known universe. There is _nothing_ wrong with you! But you need to feel safe or you'll never enjoy being free. Can we make a space on the ship?"

"I'd never leave." Rocket admitted quietly. "I'd stay there and grow more pathetic each day. I gotta suck it up."

Groot had an idea. He grew a leaf on his wrist, the soft green close to Rocket's fingers and nodded his head toward it. "Take it."

Rocket let him go and plucked the leaf from Groot's bark, looking at it doubtfully. "It's...pretty?"

"Eat it."

"I can't eat it! It came from _you!"_

"It's a _leaf,_ not a waste product."

"You're really selling this to me, Groot." Rocket muttered, but he popped it into his mouth whole. He didn't seem to remember anything at first, but after it had been swallowed down, he looked thoughtful. "I feel like I know the taste."

"When you were a baby, you used to eat them. You crawled into my cage, climbed on my leg and ate the ones on my knee."

"And you let me?"

"You needed them then like you need them now. Growing leaves is very easy for me. If you need one, tell me to grow one. Did it help?"

"Kinda. It isn't so bad now. I can really eat your leaves?"

"Whenever you want. I don't need them, so you may as well get some use of them."

"Why don't you need them?"

"They're used for attracting mates."

"In what way?" Rocket gave the area the leaf had grown from a very suspicious look.

"To make ourselves look pretty."

"I hope that's all." Rocket still looked off, so Groot grew him another leaf. "Thanks. You mentioned that you were grown, not born. Aren't all Floras grown?"

"Flora Colossi _are_ grown in soil, but there are two ways of making saplings. One way is to take a piece of ourselves, a twig, and plant it in the soil and we call it 'growing'. And the other is much more complex and involves two Flora Colossi and this way is called 'birthing'."

"You could regrow your entire species."

"I don't know if any other soil would work. There was only one race of plantlike people as far as I know and they're all dead but me. I don't think another world's resources could support a growing sapling."

Groot saw Rocket's ears droop a little at that. "That sucks."

"I'm making peace with it. Whatever happens, I'll always have a little piece of my home with me."

"Yeah, in your heart and shit." Rocket clearly thought that Groot was being sappy and sentimental. If only he knew about the secret stone. It was the one secret he had. Not because he didn't trust Rocket, but because even he didn't like to think much of it. It brought him both comfort and pain and conflicted him so much that his stomach ached. "You get it, don't you? You feel exactly how I feel, but you're the nicest person I ever met. Granted, it's not saying a lot after where I'm from, but still."

"Mine were a peaceful race." Groot shrugged.

"Peaceful my ass. I saw you beating the shit outta those people on Halfworld!"

"It was a life or death situation. I might prefer peaceful outcomes, but I do know how to protect myself. And you."

"I don't need protecting!" At Groot's inquisitive look, Rocket grinned. "But a little backup is always nice. Come on, let's show you how to work the controls on this thing. We'll make a great pilot of you!"

Groot grew a bunch of leaves on his shoulders for Rocket's use as he followed him back to the flight deck. They would be on Xandar soon - he just hoped Rocket knew how to get this thing safely on the ground without them both dying horribly.


	12. Rocket's Circumstance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rocket and Groot adjust to Xandar (or at least try to).

 

"We'll be landing in twenty minutes."

"I am Groot." _'I will start praying now!'_

"Thank you so much for your faith in me, Groot! Why don't _you_ land the damn ship?"

"I am Groot." _'Because_ you _refused to let me.'_

Rocket sighed. "You _know_ why I won't let you. You don't know how - yet. Next place we go, you can land."

Groot seemed satisfied with that and sat on the floor by Rocket. "I am Groot!" 'I've never seen such a blue sky before!'

"It wont be the last blue sky we see. Xandar is just the beginning, like I told you. Hang on." Rocket made the ship nosedive to the ground, laughing maniacally. This was something he'd always wanted to do and now he was doing it. He could feel Groot placing his arm over his chest to keep him in his seat and let go of the steering, grinning at his friend. "Look, no hands!"

"I am Groot!" _'Rocket! Be careful!'_

He was a dick and didn't right the ship until they were a few hundred metres from the ground. Then he flew it over the tops of buildings, narrowly missing roofs and sunbathing people. He saw a bridge going over a wide line of water and flew the ship under it, the wings skimming the water so arches of many colours appeared, crystalline droplets splashing against the screen. He followed the water until there were no other buildings or people in sight and took a left, finding an overgrown field and then, gently for Groot's sake (he looked like he was going to pass out), brought it to stand. And that was it. "We are officially on Xandarian soil."

"I am Groot." _'I can't believe it. We're not dead!'_

"I _told_ you I knew how to land!" Rocket gave him a very smug look and made his way to the exit. "You ready?" At Groot's nod, he hit the button and watched the ramp come down, sending pale, bright sunlight into the craft. "Well. This is nice."

"I am Groot." _'I had forgotten what beauty looks like.'_ Groot took great, lumbering steps outside, staring down at his feet as they made contact with the grass as though he couldn't believe what was there.

Rocket walked to the edge of the ramp. He had never seen grass before, but Groot had described it to him enough that he knew what it looked like. He hadn't mentioned the sweet, comforting smell or the way it rippled in waves of gold and green, how small, delicate flowers grew between blades. Rocket stepped his foot onto the grass. It bent under this new weight and he could feel an almost tickly sensation before becoming aware of the compacted dampness of soil beneath his feet. He set his other foot down and suddenly sat in the grass, feeling hidden and protected by the fringes of green. A smile made his mouth twitch and he lay back, watching the sun as it moved across the blue sky. As orange started to grow across the dusking sky, Rocket finally sat back up and made his way to Groot who was leaning against a huge boulder. "We stayin' out here or what?"

"I am Groot." _'I might stay. I have never seen such a black sky!'_

"Sure you have. In the ship."

"I am Groot." _'That was space. This is a world.'_

Rocket wasn't averse to staying out, but there wasn't a chance in hell of him going to sleep hungry. He had endured a lifetime of that bullshit. He nudged Groot. "Come on. We need to eat. Then we'll go back out here."

Groot got to his feet and stood still for a moment. "I am Groot..." _'There is a tree...'_

"What you lookin' at, a mirror?" Rocket followed Groot as he meandered through the grass. Then he noticed the tree. It was tall and wide, with delicate branches trailing down. It was hard to tell what colour the leaves were, but its fruit was a golden colour that seemed to almost glow in the starlight.

Before Rocket could even warn him to be careful, Groot plucked one and slit the skin with his finger, smelling the fruit, sniffing for poison. He licked the juice and found nothing wrong with it, for he took another and passed it down to Rocket before eating his own. "Mmm."

The fruit was bumpy and the texture was pulp-like, but the taste was unlike anything Rocket had ever experienced. "This is good."

Groot seemed to agree with this because he pulled down a branch with about twenty of the fruits attached, sat down and proceeded to get stuck in. Between them, they both emptied the branch of its bounties and rested against the tree, feeling fuller than they ever had before. There was complete and total blissful silence until Groot belched so loudly that he made Rocket jump. He put a hand to his mouth, looking guilty. "I am Groot!" _'Excuse me!'_

"You call _that_ a belch?" Rocket challenged and he, too, belched loudly. "Ha! You've got nothing on me."

"I am Groot." _'Not bad for a beginner.'_

"If anyone's a beginner, it's you." The tree was decidedly not comfortable. Rocket moved restlessly, trying to find somewhere to put his head that wasn't lumpy, but had no success.

"I am Groot?" _'What is it? Are you hurting?'_

"No, I had my meds. I just can't get comfy. They need better trees on Xandar."

"I am Groot?" _'Do you want to sleep on me?'_

Rocket looked at the wooden frame of his friend uncertainly. "You're made of the same stuff."

"I am Groot." _'Not_ exactly _the same.'_ Groot held out his arm and changed the bark from smooth to spiky, from thin to thick and then back to normal. "I am Groot."  _'I don't think that tree can do this.'_

Rocket thought of those arms suddenly holding him, cradling even, like Gavaar had done in his twisted form of fatherhood. "No! I...I don't want to be held. I can't stand it."

"I am Groot." _'I know. It's okay to say 'no', but if you change your mind, I won't hold you like...like that. I promise.'_

"I know you wouldn't do it on purpose, but I would hurt you if it happened."

Groot thought hard and suddenly brightened. "I am Groot?" _'What if I was to lay down and you slept on my back? I couldn't hold you then!'_

He _really_ wanted to help. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. "Okay." As Groot lay on his front, Rocket walked on all fours over his back. "This doesn't hurt?"

"I am Groot." _'Not even a little bit.'_

Rocket lay between his shoulder blades and felt the bark gliding beneath him. Suddenly, it felt as safe as the cocoon of grass he had been laying in for all those hours. "We're free. What the hell are we going to do?"

"I am Groot?" _'Good things?'_

"Eh, some good things. We gotta earn a living now, the two of us. We'll do something cool, something to bring the money flowing."

"I am Groot?" _'What is money?'_

"Pieces of metal traded for goods and services. That's why we need it so bad."

"I am Groot." _'Our ship is made of metal.'_

"You've got to be kidding. We can't give our _ship_ away, Groot!"

"I am Groot." _'I meant we could use it_ as _money.'_

"No, it wouldn't fetch much after what it's been through. Don't worry, we'll think up something." Rocket turned on his side. "We're going to be okay from now on. Things won't always be peachy, but anything is better than there. Right?"

"I am Groot." _'That's right.'_

Rocket closed his eyes. Then he opened them again, scanning the black skies. Black...anything could be hiding in those apparently innocent skies. Anyone. He turned on his back again and stared up at the moon directly above him. His mind went into overdrive. It told him stupid things. It whispered that the moon would fall on top of them without warning. It insisted that the stars above were actually ships from Halfworld. It swore that _somehow_ they had been tracked. "For _fuck's_ sake!" Rocket yelled at the empty skies. _"Nothing_ is going to fucking happen! Shut up, just..."

Groot rumbled tiredly. He started to get up, but stopped, remembering that he had Rocket on his back.  "I am Groot?" _'What's happening?'_

"I can't sleep out here. It's freaking me out." Rocket was about to get up to go back to the ship, but Groot stood up, forcing Rocket to scrabble in order to avoid falling. "Groot!"

"I am Groot." _'We'll just sleep in the ship. No point staying somewhere that frightens you, especially after where we've come from.'_

"I thought you liked it out here."

"I am Groot." _'I am not leaving you alone when you're freaked out! Friends don't do that to each other.'_ Groot found his way back to the cockpit and bent so Rocket could jump from his shoulder to the padded seat. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes again and Rocket realised just how damn _exhausted_ the guy was and how he had still dragged himself with the added cargo of his friend on his back to the ship, just because said friend was being fucked with by intrusive thoughts. Rocket jumped noiselessly from the seat and watched him for a few minutes before climbing onto his chest. Groot's left eye opened and he reached out, his fingertips brushing over Rocket's head. Then he looked guilty for the second time that day. _"I am Groot!" 'I'm sorry! I forgot you don't like touches like that!'_

"You're not him. Just don't hold me and we won't have a problem."

"I am Groot." _'I won't.'_

It was much more comforting being in the ship. He would have to grow a pair soon because there was no way he had flown thousands of miles just to stay in a mostly-wrecked spacecraft until he dropped down dead. He had never felt such need for sleep before. In Halfworld, he'd felt the need for rest constantly, but he'd always been too wired up, too jumpy to even _want_ to sleep. Now he could feel his body shutting down, his eyelids drooping, his heart rate dropping as tiredness he'd never known before completely took over.

* * *

He awoke to bright sunlight, the warm scent of grass and the sight of a Flora Colossus munching on one of the fruits they had gorged themselves on the night before. "Got any breakfast for me?" Groot pointed at a branch on the floor of the spaceship close to where they lay. Now it was light, Rocket could see the dark brown stem of the branch, the light teal leaves and the yellowy fruits. When Rocket bit into it, he could see the flesh inside was a pale yellow and there were oval red seeds inside. He wasn't so hungry this morning, so he left the firm middle behind, but when he went to toss it outside, Groot held out a hand. "How can you eat this?"

"I am Groot." _'Last night,_ you _ate it.'_

"Last night I was _starving._ And so were you."

Groot shrugged. "I am Groot." 'Waste not want not. The cores are where all the best parts are.'

Rocket took another of the fruits. "You know what these are?"

"I am Groot." _'I think they're apples.'_

"Okay. Well, you can eat the cores of my apples if you want." Rocket stretched. "Today, we head to the city. What do you say?"

"I am Groot?" _'What is a city?'_

"A huge cluster of buildings where people live, trade money for things, and work."

"I am Groot!" _'That sounds very strange, but it could be nice!'_

"We're going to work out a way to earn money so we can do things. Like buy a decent ship." Rocket slid onto the floor. "Do you need sunlight? Go get it now. I need to adjust the gun." As Groot stood, Rocket collected the three weapons, looking over them. He had no idea what welcome they would receive in Xandar. He would need protection of his own, but there was no telling how they might react to seeing someone with a gun walking around. He needed a smaller, more compact weapon which would still contain enough bullets for if things got really hairy. He liked bigger guns (who the hell wouldn't?) but it would be harder to run with and would be more noticeable, so he reluctantly took apart the three and combined the pieces to create what would be the perfect weapon for now. Groot returned when he was close to being done and watched. Not in the close, analytical manner that Gavaar had used, but in an awed, curious way. Rocket  finished up and fired it at the seat, satisfied that it didn't fall apart in his hands. "We're ready now. Come on, Groot."

* * *

The city was the loudest, busiest, flashiest, weirdest, most disgusting and best place Rocket had ever been to. Despite the fact he had come out solely to find means of employment, he joined Groot in staring at the amazing things they saw, like the opaque buildings, the circles that shot out water, the screens that changed pictures every five seconds and the crap outside the stores. The strangest part of Xandar was undoubtedly the people. "Groot, check out that guy with the kid. You ever seen such regret on a man's face? Hahaha!"

"I am Groot!" _'Rocket, I think the child is hurt!'_

"I'll tell you why that little asshole is screeching. Daddy just put him down and told him to use his legs and now the kid is pitching a fit. Come on, we need to find something, seriously. We can fuck around later." Rocket headed into a store, looking back to make sure Groot could fit in with him and went to a woman wearing a deep green suit.

The lady saw him and her features softened as though she had lain eyes upon something delicate and precious. She bent down with her hands on her knees, affording Rocket an eyeful of her enormous cleavage and spoke with a sweet high-pitched voice. "Hello, sweetie. Where are your owners?"

As she reached out to scratch the top of his head with her talons, Rocket batted her hand away sharply. "Look, lady, I have no owners!"

The woman jumped back as though she'd been burned. _"Aaaahhhhhh!_ _It can talk!"_

"I am Groot!" _'Don't be so rude to my friend!'_

"She _is_ rude!" Rocket agreed. "There's no need to call me 'it'!"

"I am Groot." _'There most certainly is not! She ought to apologise.'_

The woman clearly had no intention. She cowered behind a table and straightened as another woman, with pink skin, wearing a dark uniform came in. She pointed at Rocket with a shaking finger. "It...it...it _spoke!_ It's a monster!"

The pink-skinned woman approached carefully. "Please state your name."

"Rocket. This is Groot. We only just arrived in Xandar."

Something changed in the pink-skinned female's purple eyes. "89P13. Tale of your escape has reached across the galaxy.  My name is Thuin. Both of you come with me and I'll get you help."

"What _kind_ of help?" Rocket reached for where he had hidden the gun on Groot's leg.

"Halfworld operates illegally. Unfortunately, it's out of Xandarian authority, but you are here now and we have no intention of returning you. Please, come with me."

"I am Groot." _'Climb on me. If things go wrong, it's better to stick together than risk getting separated.'_

Rocket nodded. "Yeah, you're right. We have nothing to lose." Climbing up Groot's bark, he stood on his shoulder. looking down at Thuin and the woman in green. To the green-clad female, he nodded. "It's been a real joy meeting you."

"Officer, that thing...it's not natural!"

"Neither are your wrinkles. Groot, follow Thuin and try not to lose her." As they left the shop, Rocket crossed his arms. "'Not natural'. What a real class act."

Groot grew a bunch of leaves on the side of his head. "I am Groot." _'If you weren't meant to exist then you wouldn't. You're unusual, but not unnatural.'_

Rocket crunched on one of the leaves. "Am I a monster?"

"I am Groot!" _'Of course you aren't! A monster is something evil. The people at Halfworld were monsters!'_

The leaf did its usual comforting trick and Rocket leaned against Groot's head. "Yeah, they were. We ain't ever going back there. Not ever." 


	13. Groot's Fight

Groot could tell that it still bothered Rocket being referred to by his old 'name' after he returned from a long meeting with Thuin. He kept a hand on his shoulder until Rocket pushed it off and told him that he didn't want to be touched at all right now and would he mind keeping the fuck away? Of _course_ not. Rocket had been forced to endure being non-consensually touched, lifted, held and more by Gavaar. It was a miracle he was as accepting of any type of touch by Groot. Right now, he needed his own bubble of space to feel safe and that was perfectly fine.  
Groot wasn't sure where they were right now, what type of room or place. There were two bunks on either wall, each with a slender mattress, a thin cushion and a blue blanket. He was appalled with himself for being so ungrateful, but he had preferred the ship because it was somewhere much more comforting and homely.

"I'm never going to shake off 89P13, am I?"

"You will because that is _not_ your name and we're going to make sure people know it." Groot wanted to go over to sit with him, but he knew that Rocket would come over to him in his own time.

"That's what I was named at birth. It's what they have me recorded as."

"You named yourself when we first spoke with each other. Your name is _Rocket!_ Maybe we can change it."

"No, we can't." Rocket rubbed at his face briefly. "They were asking me questions. What Gavaar did. What I can remember." Rocket breathed in deeply. "I can remember a lot. Before I was fully grown, he gave me a drug to make me less reactive to physical pain, meaning my heart won't put out when I'm hurt. After I had that drug, he didn't put me to sleep when reassembling and experimenting on me. He would just make sure I couldn't move." Rocket drew up his legs and hugged them, looking very small. "I can remember so _much_...And telling them, those Xandarians what happened with them looking at me. Like I'm some poor _animal_ who just drew the short straw in life."

"You _aren't_ an animal. You're a person!"

"I know that! They were just...oh, forget it. You don't know what it was like in that fucking  _place."_

"It was worse, what happened to you. Much worse. But I do know what it was _like._ I got hurt and scared too, Rocket."

Rocket gave him the look he had given Gavaar before he'd started ripping chunks of his flesh from his bones with the pliers. "What you got was a fucking _breeze_ compared to the bullshit I went through. You've led a charmed life!"

"I watched my homeworld get burned to _ashes!"_

"You didn't _watch!_ While your beloved people were burning alive, you were hiding away in a cave somewhere, listening to their screams."

Groot flinched. "Rocket, please,  _don't!"_

"Don't what? It's the truth! If you'd truly given a fuck, even just _one_ fuck, you wouldn't be the last plant standing. But here you are and _all_ the others are dust on the wind!"

Groot remembered the storms that blew over Planet X and how they could tear anything from the ground if it hadn't been anchored in well enough. He thought of all the people in their powdered forms being dragged up, mixing together and then falling all over the homeworld. He could hear drumming in his ears and stepped away from Rocket, toward the door. "Don't you...don't say that. Why are you saying this?"

"Why the hell not? It's true! You _left_ them to die."

Groot could feel his very soul trembling at the statement. He couldn't say anything, only shaking his head as he walked toward the door, the halves opening to let him through. He got lost trying to find his way out, but when he did find the exit to the building, there was the glare of sunlight in his face and a smell of grass he followed to a stretch of green with one of the giant fountains in the precise middle of it. He leant his head over it and got a mouthful of water and saw, in the corner of his eye, one of the apple trees. He sat underneath it, grabbing one of the fruit and miserably swallowed it whole. He could feel the eyes of people, some openly musing that he was perhaps a statue or a carving, but no one came to bother him, which was fine by him. The sky's gentle blue and the sun's soft warmth did a lot to comfort him and he distracted himself from the thoughts of his long-lost people and of the unpleasant time he and Rocket had had by blooming flowers to match the skies above. When the flowers took on a pinkish tinge, he decided it was time to be on the move and got up from the tree which was where he reached an impasse. He had no idea where the place he had come from was. And no one with the exception of several thousand dead Flora Colossi and Rocket understood a single word of what he said. He recognised a small path between two buildings and went down it until he reached a fork. He went left, then found a dead end and was about to go back on himself when he stopped dead in his tracks. There were a group of people, twelve of them and at least four had a gun.

"Give us your money or die!"

Oh, this was _not_ his lucky day. Groot held up his hands and shook his head, trying to convey that he had no money.

"No? Fine. I'll use your wood to keep my family warm. Any final words before you taste my bullet?"

Groot didn't want to, but he saw no other alternative. He lashed out his arm, sending three flying. _"Get away from me!"_

"Holy _shit!"_

"Shoot the fucker!"

Bullets tore through his bark, but stuck in the outer layer as it immediately hardened upon their impact. Now enraged, he stepped toward the group and sent another three smashing into the walls where they dropped to the ground. Sudden, painful blindness overtook him as a bullet lodged itself in his eyelid. He blinked and stumbled, shrieking as something tripped him so he fell and he lay winded. He could see the leader of the group grinning as he pointed the gun at his face. Groot growled, though it must have sounded more frightening than it was.

"Hey! Over here, you walking, talking jerk-off!"

The leader turned. He spluttered. "What the _fuck_ are you? Some kind of squirrel on steroids?"

"Cops are on the way and you aren't going anywhere. Here's your choice. I kill you or you go to that nice prison, what was it called... the Kyln!"

"As if you've got a chance in hell, _rodent."_ The leader nodded at the five others of his group.

Groot could see Rocket as he was surrounded. The five all had weapons, but none had guns and none were Rocket. All the same, it frightened him to see him circled by such vicious people. He got up and charged at them, sending one up in the air and another down the alley. One of the three left standing plunged his knife deep into Groot's chest, sending the precious little pebble skidding over the ground. Groot fell to his knees. It wasn't fatal, but it would take time to heal and currently hurt like it could kill him from pain alone.

"You sons of fucking bitches!" Rocket shot one and she roared in pain, clutching her arm tightly. The other received a shot in her shinbone and she howled. The third and last turned away and ran. Now it was just the leader and he actually whimpered, despite his earlier bravado. Rocket sneered at him. "The best part of you dripped down your mom's leg. You fucking wuss. You're all dick and no balls, you know that?"

"Please don't shoot me!"

"He won't." Officer Thuin came from behind Rocket and pressed the barrel with her fingertip, so it pointed down. "But _we_ will if you don't surrender. Lower your weapons."

"If he doesn't, can I shoot him?"

"Leave us _some_ of the fun, Rocket. Besides, you have more important things to tend to." Thuin tilted her head toward Groot and nodded in satisfaction when the leader threw a knife to the ground.


	14. Rocket's Meeting

 

_"Okay, 89P13, ignore the others behind me. It's only the two of us in this room. We're going to go through your history to see if we can relocate you to your home planet." Thuin smiled at him, all sympathy and warmth._

_"I don't want to go back wherever my mother came from. I wouldn't fit in there."_

_Thuin didn't say anything, but by the way her dark eyebrows rose, it was obvious what she was thinking;_ 'You think you fit in now?' _She gathered herself back together and looked up from her screen, her amethyst eyes looking into his. "Then you won't be rehomed if that's what you want. Can you state your original species?"_

_"I don't know. Proceeyon."_

_"P-R-O-C-E-E-Y-O-N." Thuin frowned at her screen. "There's no mention of such a species. Not living or extinct."_

_"There is. My mother was one and so were the other four babies she had."_

_"Perhaps you were native to Halfworld."_

_"Bullshit. They only ever accepted rare or valuable assets and you know it."_

_Thuin nodded. "Your age?"_

_"Uhh..." Rocket had to think. "Nine or ten."_

_"Nine and a half years-"_

_"Months."_

_She stopped and looked at him with wide eyes, her mouth falling open. "Months?"_

_Rocket couldn't understand her wide-eyed horror. "So what?"_

_"89P13, you don't realise that most species are considered, well,_ infants _when they're under a year old."_

_"I'm not an infant. Can I go now?"_

_Thuin shook her head. "I need to ask what happened there. Are there any illnesses, health problems? It's in case you get sick and need medical help."_

_Rocket tensed. "I am not talking about that shithole with anyone, least of all some chick I barely know! Screw this, I know I've got nothing wrong with me. I'm out of here."_

_"89P13-"_

"ROCKET!" _Rocket yelled as loudly as he was able. "My name is Rocket! 89P13 is dead and fucking buried! Why can't you call me by my name?!"_

_Thuin couldn't meet his eyes. "You're owned by Halfworld. By Gax Gavaar. Only he can change your name."_

_"He isn't around any more. I'm free of him, of the label he gave me. I hear those numbers and I'm_ there _again. Why can't I be called by my name?"_

_"You aren't considered a person."_

_She looked him in the eyes when she told him that, but the pity in them made Rocket look away. "Are you fucking kidding me? Of course I'm a person! I can think, I can feel! What more do you morons want?"_

_"You were born an animal. And that's what the laws focus on. I'm so sorry."_

_"What about...what about Groot?"_

_"Groot had a people. You do not."_

_They had tied that up neatly. Rocket sat back in the chair, trying to wrap his mind around the fact. "Even Gavaar," he said quietly, "even_ he _considered me a fucking person."_

_"I'm sorry. This should never have happened to you."_

_Rocket laughed bitterly. "You don't know a damn thing about it. I'm only going to say this once, so I hope you're listening. My earliest memory is him opening my throat to carry out a vocal cord transplant that would help me talk so I can communicate. A couple days after that, he took a saw to my skull and popped off the top so he could adjust my brain. This was all in the good old days when he would give me drugs so I didn't feel the pain." Rocket could see Thuin turning pale. "He created a drug that would make me heal quickly from internal damages and would stop me from dying from shock when I'm in pain. I can feel pain and I react to pain, but pain will never ever kill me. That drug made it so he wouldn't have to waste money on anaesthetics for me when he was cutting me open to look inside or when he was slicing open my eyes to refine my sense of sight. But those operations were nice compared to the time he tested the sensitivity of my hands by burning, freezing and cutting the skin. And there was the operation when he lay me facedown, restrained me, cut open my back, broke apart my vertebrae and replaced the discs with metal. Then he cut open the bone and started pouring nice, hot molten metal inside..." _Thuin bolted from the table and stuck her head into a trashcan. "Gavaar also operated on my front. He really liked to play around with my heart and lungs. The other organs weren't so important to him, so my liver and kidneys are the original copies, but I don't know what the heart and lungs must look like now. Say, did I tell you what he was going to do to me before we left? He was going to crack open my bones and fill the inside with metal so they would be stronger-"__

__"Enough!" Thuin staggered back to the table and picked up her screen. "Please..."_ _

__Rocket shook his head. "I went through all that crap and a tree-man is considered more a person than I'll ever be."_  _

* * *

Maybe he was a little jealous. Kinda. Well, hell yeah, he was jealous! And he was an asshole to feel jealous, because who knew something was up and had a hand on his shoulder? His tree-man friend. The one he borderline hated because why the fuck did Groot get the family and the world that could have been his? But the problem was if he took Groot's place, then Groot would have to take _his_ place and that was unthinkable. He shrugged off Groot's hand viciously. "I don't want to be touched! Would you just keep the fuck away?"

Groot didn't even take offence. He went to the opposite wall and sat by the bed, politely averting his eyes as though he knew even being looked at would set Rocket off.

Rocket looked at Groot. The only person in the galaxy who called him 'Rocket'. "I'm never going to shake off 89P13, am I?"

Groot did look at him then. "I am Groot." _'You will because that is_ not _your name and we're going to make sure people know it.'_

Rocket sighed. "That's what I was named at birth. It's what they have me recorded as."

"I am Groot." _"You named yourself when we first spoke with each other. Your name is_ Rocket! _Maybe we can change it."_

Rocket rubbed at his face as he remembered the meeting with Thuin. "No. We can't." He looked at Groot again. "They were asking me questions. What Gavaar did. What I can remember." Rocket breathed in deeply. "I can remember a lot. Before I was fully grown, he gave me a drug to make me less reactive to physical pain, meaning my heart won't put out when I'm hurt. After I had that drug, he didn't put me to sleep when reassembling and experimenting on me. He would just make sure I couldn't move." Rocket drew up his legs and hugged them, looking very small. "I can remember so _much_...And telling them, those Xandarians what happened with them looking at me. Like I'm some poor _animal_ who just drew the short straw in life."

"I am Groot." _'You aren't an_ animal! _ _You're a person.'__

At least someone called him a person. One out of several billion. "I know that! They were just...oh, forget it. You don't know what it was like in that fucking  _place."_

"It was worse, what happened to you. Much worse. But I do know what it was like. I got hurt and scared too, Rocket."

Rocket knew that. He just didn't see how anyone with so many good memories, someone who was considered to be a person with rights and feelings and thoughts like everybody else could possibly understand what had happened there.  "What you got was a fucking _breeze_ compared to the bullshit I went through. You've led a charmed life."

"I am Groot!" _'I watched my homeworld get burned to_ ashes!'

"You didn't _watch!_ While your beloved people were burning alive, you were hiding away in a cave somewhere, listening to their screams." He could tell by Groot's face that he'd really struck a nerve. He hadn't meant it. He didn't want to, but some horrible, evil, monstrous part of him was taking over and it wouldn't let him say he'd gone too far.

 _'Rocket, please,_ don't!'

"Don't what? It's the truth! If you'd truly given a fuck, even just _one_ fuck, you wouldn't be the last plant standing. But here you are and _all_ the others are dust on the wind!"

Groot stepped toward the door, tears forming in his eyes. "I am Groot?"  _'Don't you...don't say that. Why are you saying this?'_

"Why the hell not? It's true! You _left_ them to die." At this, Groot vanished out the door and Rocket was left alone. At first, the horrible, evil, monstrous side of him was happy. Then it disappeared and Rocket was left with only his guilt for company. "Fuck, fuck, _fuck_...Why did I say that?" He had to find Groot. He'd never been alone in Xandar before. Neither had Rocket, but at least he could defend himself. He found the gun under his pillow and was about to open the door when Thuin came in. "You ever hear of knocking?"

"I'm sorry. I came to see how you were."

"Apart from the fact I was a huge asshole and drove my only friend away, I'm fine."

"Need help?"

Rocket grunted and walked past her. "Tag along if you want."

Thuin walked alongside him. Rocket couldn't help noticing that her gun was much bigger than his. He would have to try and get his hands on it at some point, but right now the only thing that mattered was finding Groot. "I'm sorry if today's meeting upset you in any way. It really was for your benefit, not ours."

"Heard it, believed it, know better now."

"Rocket," Thuin looked at him as he stopped in his tracks. "You were right. It is bullshit that you aren't considered a person. But just because the _law_ doesn't consider you one, doesn't mean that people _can't."_

Rocket started moving again. "Okay. Look, Groot isn't exactly streetwise. If he gets attacked, he'll fight back."

"I'll put out a warning and we'll go track him down."

* * *

It was insanely harder than one might think to find a seven foot tall, very talkative tree, but Rocket managed it. Of course the idiot had managed to get himself cornered by a bunch of kids, most of whom looked as though they'd been barely weaned. But it didn't matter what the gang looked like, because one of them had a gun between Groot's eyes. "Hey!" Rocket yelled. "Over here, you walking, talking jerk-off!"

The kid with the gun smirked, showing a mouthful of silver, gleaming teeth. Gross. Rocket could never understand why people covered their teeth in metal like that.  "What the _fuck_ are you? Some kind of squirrel on steroids?"

Big talk coming from someone who looked like he'd forgotten that spaceships weren't edible. "Cops are on the way and you aren't going anywhere. Here's your choice. I kill you or you go to that nice prison, what was it called... the Kyln!"

"As if you've got a chance in hell, _rodent."_

Oh, he'd gone there, huh? Rocket looked upward as five of the gang members surrounded him. He was just debating over which one to shoot first when Groot took that decision out of his hands by running at them, a terrifying sight with sap gushing down his face from the left eye. He sent two flying and Rocket felt his heartbeat quicken as the leader of the gang tore a knife through Groot's chest. As his friend sank to the ground, Rocket glared at the remaining four. "You sons of fucking bitches!" The three remaining gang members, being women, looked affronted. Rocket knew he had to move quickly and shot the biggest in the arm, making her scream out. The other got a bullet to the shin and the third ran. She was probably the brains of the outfit. Rocket turned to the gang leader, who was actually trembling at the sight of the 'rodent', the 'squirrel on steroids' that he had been mocking not so long ago before. Rocket looked at him with disgust. "The best part of you dripped down your mom's leg. You fucking wuss. You're all dick and no balls, you know that?"

"Please don't shoot me!"

Rocket was actually about to do just that, when a pink finger poked the barrel down so the gun aimed at the ground. "He won't." Thuin said, her voice almost gentle. "But _we_ will if you don't surrender. Lower your weapons."

Damn. Trust her to turn up at precisely the wrong time. "If he doesn't, can I shoot him?"

"Leave us _some_ of the fun, Rocket. Besides, you have more important things to tend to."


	15. Groot's Loss

 

Grudges were not something Flora Colossi held onto. There just weren't any point to them. And this wasn't a grudge, exactly, Groot certainly didn't hate Rocket and he definitely wanted to be friends with him, he just could _not_ rid himself of the hurt. And the very worst part was that Rocket seemed to know. Now that he was on the mend, he was allowed back in the room with Rocket and he had no idea what to do. And, more amazingly, neither did Rocket. Or maybe he didn't realise just how mean what he'd said was. He stared at the floor, not wanting to look in the direction of his friend in case he was still angry.

"Groot?"

Rocket's voice was so sudden (he had jumped on Groot's bed when he wasn't looking) that Groot jumped so violently that he fell off his bed and gave Rocket a _very_ wounded look for frightening him. "Yes?"

"How are you feeling? Is your chest healed?"

It was much better, but something was off. Groot couldn't figure out how, but there was _something_ not quite right. He nodded his head, looking away from Rocket to the floor again. "I'm fine, thank you."

"I shouldn't have ever said those things that day."

"Why did you?" Groot asked. He didn't mean for it to sound piercing, but it clearly was for Rocket flinched.

"I don't know."

"That's not a very good reason." That time, he _did_ mean it to sound accusing. Then he felt bad again at the look on Rocket's face. "I'm sorry."

"No, you're right." Rocket leaned against the wall and looked ahead, his gaze unfocused. "The laws of the galaxy don't see me as being a person. But they see you as being one and I just...I got so _mad."_

"Why don't they?"

"Because my mother was an animal."

"That's ridiculous!"

"No, really, she was."

Groot shook his head. "I mean it's ridiculous they don't see you as being a person just because your mother was an animal."

"Tell me about it." Rocket looked up at him again with those bright brown eyes now holding regret. "I know what happened to Planet X was-"

"Rocket, I don't want to talk about what happened to Planet X. It's a barren landscape of dust and greyness now."

"I know it really hurt you."

"I lived, as you reminded me." There was no way around it - he was still hurt. The throbbing in his chest had nothing to do with the slice he'd received a few days before and words began spilling without his consent. "My people died screaming, but I couldn't hear it in the cave. The only reason I was the alone in there is because all the other survivors died on the way, including my father. When I left, all I could see was ash. People I had grown up with, places I knew, all that was loved...all gone. Gone forever. I couldn't even grieve over their bodies because I didn't know who was who. I couldn't regrow because the soil had barely any nutrients left. It was so frightening, being all by myself on my empty, lonely, ashen planet but it was my _home._ I _loved_ it." Groot felt a hot tear edge out of the undamaged right eye. "It wasn't just mean, what you said, it was _cruel."_

"I know." Rocket reached out to his arm, his fingers retracting at the last moment. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter."

He could feel Rocket's gaze boring into the side of his head. He must have realised that the conversation was not going to be continued any further, for he jumped down from Groot's bed and stepped toward the door. "I'm going to head to the ship. I need more meds. I'll be back in a few hours."

Groot thought of the unfriendly group he had met and started to get up. "I'll come with you."

The walk toward where they had landed was silent as they passed people who stared at them with wide eyed. One of them called Rocket a 'kitten' and parents pulled their children away with fear and horror in their eyes. Rocket barely seemed to notice as he marched on, but as they were crossing the bridge over the giant, wide river, he was beginning to walk more stiffly and several minutes after they had crossed it and were walking through a woodland, he groaned, fell to his knees and didn't get up. _"Ahh! Fuck!"_

Concerned, Groot knelt by him. "Rocket? What's wrong?"

"I thought it would be okay...I haven't taken them at the time I normally have them. Oh, god!" Rocket's entire body started shaking with the effort of holding in the pain and he started whimpering, exactly like an animal in distress.

Groot knew he had to get Rocket to the precious medicine as quickly as possible, but it was obvious he couldn't move himself. There was only one option left and he knew Rocket would hate it more than anything. "I'm _sorry,_ Rocket!" He put his hands underneath his friend's arms and lifted him as easily as lifting a sapling from the soil. He had seen Gavaar hold Rocket many times and tried his best to do it in as different a manner as possible, keeping a hand between his shoulder blades and away from the visible nubs of metal, and keeping the grip on Rocket's legs as loosely as could be allowed without dropping him. He ran in the direction of the ship, hearing the yelps as Rocket bounced lightly with the impact of every footfall.

Rocket suddenly hooked his claws into Groot's bark, drawing sap. It didn't hurt, but the sight of the sap must have frightened him because the tremors became even worse. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"It's not your fault." Groot told him, because it wasn't. The pain in his body was driving him to react like that and he now understood a little better why Rocket had said such hurtful things. "It's my fault."

"No-" Whatever else Rocket had been about to say was cut off abruptly as he threw his head back and began screaming. Rocket's claws ran deeper and part of the bark actually came away, but it would heal easily, so Groot ignored it. He ran into the ship and found the crate of medical supplies, the pills on the control console. He lay Rocket on the padded seat and plucked one of the tiny white circles from its glass bottle and offered it to Rocket. When he couldn't take it, Groot apologised again because he knew Rocket hated being physically fed and placed it into his mouth, gently rubbing his throat to help him swallow. He hoped that it would work very quickly, but Rocket still flailed, like he was trying to fight off the pain and Groot couldn't bear it. He lay on the floor and carefully brought Rocket down to lie on his chest, hardening his bark so Rocket could scratch at it if he needed to. The movements died down, but the cries and agonised sounds continued until Groot tentatively began rubbing the back of Rocket's neck with his fingertips. All became silent and after some time, Rocket extended his arm to touch the part of Groot he had torn. "What did I _do_ to you?!"

"It wasn't your fault and it doesn't even hurt." Groot said. "I wish I'd tried to understand better. Then we could have gotten the meds sooner and this wouldn't have happened."

"What are you talking about?"

"If I'd just forgiven you, this wouldn't have happened."

"You had every right to not forgive me, _I_ don't forgive me! Oh, god, _look_ what I've done."

"Forget that! This is nothing at all. I _understand_ why you said those things now! You were hurt and couldn't control what you said."

"It doesn't make it _okay!_ You looked out for me, helped me escape and what do I do? I tear you apart! I'm a _monster."_

"I forgive you. I know you feel worse about it than I do." Groot stroked the top of Rocket's head, watching his ears flick at the touch. "You're not a monster. You just made a mistake and it's okay."

"I behaved like a monster!" Rocket insisted.

"You apologised, remember? Monsters don't apologise. How many times did Gavaar or Lesa apologise to us?" At Rocket's contemptuous huff, Groot nodded.

Rocket struggled to support himself on his elbows and looked into his eyes. "Thanks. And it's okay." When Groot looked at him in surprise, wondering just what was okay, Rocket managed a grim half-smile. "You apologised too. Before you held me. I know I couldn't have made it by myself and you...it wasn't like him. Even though I was hurting everywhere, I felt _safe."_

Groot couldn't help beaming. To hear that Rocket felt safe with him, even while being held, was a wondrous thing. He really wanted to hug him, but he didn't want to risk causing him any more hurt and settled for rubbing behind his ears. "Thanks, Rocket."

Rocket relaxed, the light weight of his body resting against Groot. It was true - he really _did_ feel safe. "It scared me seeing you getting knifed like that. I know your people don't have hearts or lungs, but I was scared it could do something, kill you somehow."

Groot huffed in amusement, though it wasn't really funny. "It would take a hell of a lot more than a stupid child with a knife to kill _me."_

"Good. You're all I have and I don't want you disappearing."

Groot smiled down at him. "I'm not going to leave you. We're friends, remember?"

"No shit, I remember. You keep reminding me every five seconds."

Groot laughed, trying to keep it quiet so he didn't jostle Rocket. "That's what friends are for!" Now Rocket was getting back to normal, he wondered if perhaps he wanted to get back to the room in the city. "Are you alright here or do you want to leave?"

"I like it here for now. It's stupid, but we found freedom in this craft, in this spot. Do you want to go back to the room?"

Groot shook his head, deciding now was a good time to tell Rocket his truest feelings on their place of stay. "I know it's very ungrateful, but I liked it here in the spaceship better."

"I get it. It's only for a short while, like I told you. We're going to see thousands of different places and we can't do that if we're on just one planet." Rocket turned stiffly onto his side and sat up, holding himself steady by gripping onto Groot's bark. "I need to get the blood flowing soon. Grab the medicine bottles for me. Can you carry them like you carried the tablet?"

He certainly could. He opened his chest, noticing how Rocket stared in horrified fascination as the nearly-healed wound stretched saplessly. Then he remembered what he had lost and his face fell. "Oh no..."

"Groot? What's wrong?" Rocket looked at his chest in concern. "Are you hurt?"

It didn't really matter. And if he told Rocket, he would probably go haring off to the alleyway to retrieve the pretty pebble and get himself cornered by the unfriendly group - or worse. "Nothing."

"Groot, you are the _crappiest_ liar in the galaxy!" Rocket declared. "What's wrong?"

Groot looked into the bright brown, determined eyes of his friend. "I had a stone with me."

"A stone?"

Groot nodded his head. "Yes, a stone. It was the only nice thing left on Planet X and I brought it with me, but it fell out when I was fighting that group of people." 

"Dammit, Groot, why didn't you tell me? I could have found it for you while you were in the medical bay."

"I forgot. Getting stabbed will make you forget things."

Rocket sighed at him. "As soon as I can walk, we'll go and get it."

"Really?"

"Yes." Rocket said firmly. He started stretching his arms out and took in a deep breath. "Don't laugh. I'm going to be very disoriented for a while and it looks stupid."

"I won't." Groot promised and he looked away as Rocket slid down from him. He could hear the sound of Rocket bumping into smaller crates and cursing as he stumbled, but he knew that attempts to help would be rebuffed and didn't even glance in his direction until his friend pulled at his arm. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"Of course I'm sure. Come on, buddy." Rocket was already by the exit. "If you want, we can come back here tonight. That room we're in is cramped."

Groot agreed fully with that assessment. It was bigger than the cages in Halfworld, but it was so uniform, so crisp that it felt somehow smaller. "And we have the apples here."

"And we have the apples here. Thuin mentioned about seeing us today, so unless we want her unleashing the entire Xandarian force on us, we'd better check in. Our top priority is getting your stone back. What was it like?"

"Small."

"Thanks, man. Don't hold back with the details, will you?"

Ohh, Rocket wanted to know what it _looked_ like. "It was black and had a clear stone inside it."

"That helps. We'll find it."

"We don't _have_ to. I barely noticed it was gone-"

"We're _finding_ the fucking stone!"

Groot had a suspicion that Rocket was only going through with this because he felt guilty still. He genuinely didn't mind if it was gone forever because he still had his best friend in the whole of the universe with him. The stone was nice to look at, yes, and it was a part of his dead planet but that was _it._ It was a _thing_ , an object. Rocket was alive and provided better love than the fragment of planet that Groot had been carrying for all those months. A stone felt nothing and Rocket felt everything. A stone didn't care and Rocket _did._ And that was much more important.


	16. Rocket's Beginning

 

Rocket didn't really see what the big deal was about the little stone, but whatever it frickin' took to make up for what he'd said to Groot. Now the rock was back where it belonged, in the chest of his friend and the big idiot looked thrilled to damned pieces about it, too. Now, Rocket felt better about the whole situation. A whole, huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders now. He didn't like the office room they were currently in. It was too harsh with the lighting and reminded him uncomfortably of Halfworld. Groot grew him a bunch of dark green, fragrant leaves but they barely hit the spot and he stayed close to Groot, not wanting to suddenly lose his friend despite the Flora Colossus' promise that he would never, ever lose him.

"Rocket, Groot. Thank you so much for your patience." Thuin held a package in her hands and a warm, bright smile lit up her rosy skin.

"It's running a little low, Thuin. What's that?"

She handed it to Rocket and crossed her arms over her chest, grinning broadly. She looked very smug indeed and looked at him expectantly as he opened the package to find a pair of really small pants and an orange padded vest. "I thought you'd appreciate clothes."

"Thanks." Rocket wasn't sure, but he tried on the vest. The uncomfortable, unprotected feeling vanished and he quickly got the pants on too. "How did you know about-?"

Thuin sat in a chair and began explaining. "I was looking through records and a name cropped up - 'Lylla'. She was a creature similar to you, Rocket. We didn't know what species she was or where she originated, but she could speak. And she used to walk around with a blanket over her shoulders until someone realised what she really wanted."

"What's this Lylla chick got to do with anything?" Rocket asked.

"She escaped from Halfworld."

"All by herself?"

"Completely alone."

"What a woman," Rocket said admiringly. "How long ago was this?"

"Five years. She lives on a planet not too far from here. We've contacted her and she's open to a visit as long as you warn her first."

Rocket looked at Groot. "What do you think?"

"I am Groot." _'I think it would be nice to see new people.'_

"Another thing-" Thuin handed over a bag that rustled noticeably. "For your help with the gang a few days back. We've been trying to get the leader for months."

"What _is_ this?"

"The bounty."

Rocket opened the bag to see notes bundled together. "Could we make a living out of it?"

"Lots of people do."

_'People'_. Something he'd never be considered part of. Why the hell not hunt a few of the lucky ones down? "Thanks. Guess we'd better patch up our ship and head out with supplies."

"I am Groot?" _'Please can you thank her for me, Rocket?'_

"What was that?" Thuin asked.

"He says 'thank you'." Rocket gave Groot the bag to hide within his chest. "And so do I. You've been a real help."

"You're welcome. We still don't know about Groot's medical history-"

Rocket shrugged. "No allergies, no illnesses, no nothin'. But if he had a heart, it would be the biggest ticker around."

"I'll make a note." Thuin stood from her chair and offered them her hand to shake. "Goodbye, Rocket, Groot. Give Lylla Xandar's best wishes."

* * *

"-No, I ain't selling no fuckin' talkin' rat fuckin' ship parts! So why don't you take your fuckin' houseplant and fuck off back to the woods?"

"You suck your mom's dick with that mouth?"

As the shipyard's owner swelled with rage, Groot grabbed Rocket's hand and ran away with him until they were both hidden behind a particularly snazzy model. "I am Groot!" _'Rocket! You need to be_ careful. _That guy was huge and looked_ mean.'

"Pfft. I could take him on in any kind of fight. How the fuck are we meant to repair the ship without parts, Groot?"

Groot looked around as if he was searching for the answer when his gaze settled on the ship they were hidden behind. He looked at Rocket. And he grinned a very wicked grin that Rocket very much liked the look of. "I am Groot?" _'Well...why not just_ take _a ship?'_

"I can't believe my innocent houseplant could think of something like that!" Rocket grinned back at him. "Great idea! We'll come back when that prick is gone. Come on, Groot."

They went back into the city for supplies. Lylla's planet was a few days' flight away and there was no way the ship that had brought them to Xandar could make the trip. Food and ammo gained, they went back to the ship and stocked their items away before going back to the apple tree. A small, clear green pond turned out to be close-by and Groot waded in, up to his knees, looked into the clear depths and sat down in it, closing his eyes and letting the sunlight wash over his face. Rocket stepped a foot into the water himself, feeling the cool _everythingness_ of it wash over his skin. He spluttered indignantly as water splashed lightly against his face and glared at the giggling Flora Colossus. "Why, you..." He slapped the water's surface, causing a small tidal wave to splash Groot and had just started laughing at him when Groot sent a tsunami his way. "Gauugh!" He could hear Groot laughing and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, laugh it up. Laugh at your friend, Groot, that's really fricking nice!"

Groot reached for him in a slow, cautious way and Rocket allowed him to carefully bring him up to his shoulder where he could dry off in the warm, golden sunlight. He liked being so high, like he was untouchable up there. He leaned against Groot's head and felt the thrum of his friend taking in air and watched the stillness of the grass, the trees, the flowers and the water. "I am Groot." _'I think it is time for us to move on now, isn't it, Rocket?'_

Rocket nodded in agreement. "Yup," he said. "It sure is."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy fuckamole, I actually finished this one...
> 
> That aside, I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing! Their adventures ain't over yet, so keep your eyes wide open for their future antics!


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